Despite the impact of the statistics on new cases and new deaths, today’s news had some shreds of hope for everyone. There is slight indication that the numbers of people infected and reporting to hospitals in New York City has started to decline. In the parlance of the day, the curve appears to be flattening. Personally, I need to see that type of reporting out of place like Chicago, New Orleans and Philadelphia before I start to celebrate, but there is a glimmer of hope that the tide is turning.
That information alone qualifies this as a message of positive attitude. The real message I take from those statistics is that the vast majority of people in this country have committed to the common good despite their own wants and desires. Enough people are practicing social distancing and good hygiene habits and the effect has started to slow down the spread of Covid-19. Our American spirit of grand individualism has given way to the realization that this is a WE NOT ME challenge. No one knows if that attitude will remain after the virus has receded and life returns to “normal” once again, but my single greatest hope is that we all realize the world is a better place when we think that way. If that does happen, we may find that the agony of this terrible cloud did indeed have a silver lining.
