They are afraid

The big thing on everyone’s minds is COVID-19. Indeed, it is a global issue that is now affecting the day-to-day lives of Canadians across the country. It is no longer just “something happening in China”.

I’m not a health expert or anything, so this post isn’t going to tell you what you should be doing or what the latest update is. What I want to write about today is something I think about whenever I see/hear stories of people over-buying toilet paper, people re-selling cleaning supplies to make a profit, and this whole debate of whether we are over-reacting or not.

These people are not stupid. They are not greedy (well maybe they people re-selling for profits are lol). They are afraid.

Fear is what is driving the panic-purchasing. People are afraid the communities they live in will be in lock-down. They are afraid that going outside their front door is no longer an option.

All of this fear stems from the fear of death, which is a very natural and biological reaction. It’s not a very direct link, but it is a possible link: go outside > get sick > die. The chances of this are so slim, but our eyes and ears are glued to our monitors, reading news about the confirmed cases. These cases are people who were just going to the walk-in clinic, people just visiting a friend or family member in their home, kids just going to school and people just living in their senior homes – people who were not afraid. It makes us afraid.

COVID-19 has been an eye opener in what fear can do to people. When fear is so close to our homes and the people we love, we react.

We need to remember fear has always been here. For example, refugee families flee to other countries largely because of fear. They are afraid of staying in their home country. They are not thinking about stealing our jobs. They are thinking about bringing their family to a safe place. And now as people fight for toilet paper, I hope we all remember how it feels to be afraid of our own towns, our own people and our own homes.

I know we are supposed to be practicing social distancing, self-isolation and quarantine. But we should remind ourselves that we are not afraid of other people – we are afraid of the virus.

At this time, we need more compassion. We need to give what we have to others who do not. Donate and give face masks to the elderly and the sick. Buy groceries for those who cannot. Think about the doctors and nurses who are putting them selves at risk every day. Think of your grandparents. Think about how much scarier this whole thing is to those who are more vulnerable.

Fear does not stop death, it stops life. Let’s help each other be less afraid.

Sincerely, Loewe