A better tomorrow?

Consider the changes brought on by the pandemic. A great many things that we have for so long taken for granted are not the same any more, and the way it looks now, will not return to “normal” soon, if at all. But what will we consider “normal?” This isn’t going to be a glitch that will fade away as we return to our old ways. It will have lasting consequences and the sooner we latch on to that fact, the better. Will we return to our old ways or continue with our pandemic way of life or some variation thereof?

Getting back to “normal” will not only be a tremendous task but “normal” must be improved upon. We see so many around us wallowing in greed, materialism and obsession with self that it is obvious that there are some important moral concepts that haven’t been taken seriously for decades. As Schnall wrote: “We must break our silence on those moral truths that have not been eroded by time and social change. However unsure we are of how to mold them with the particular circumstances of contemporary life, we must still speak out for the major human values embedded in our collective conscience throughout our history: honesty, responsibility and decency.” 

Blatant disregard for morality, principles and constructive values is all around us. Examples are dishonesty and lack of conscience of government leaders, self-indulgent religious hucksters, corporate greed and crime that causes widespread suffering, flagrant disregard (whether by the individual or the institution) for the welfare of other human beings, dulling the senses with addictions — whether to alcohol, drugs, food, mindless materialism, religion, etc. Too few of us take responsibility for our actions, live with awareness for the benefit of the whole, and possess a sense of community. As Marilyn Ferguson wrote: “In this time of uncertainty, when all our old social forms are crumbling, when we cannot easily find our way, we can be lights to each other.”

Setting our limits does not mean we have to revert back to the old rigid authoritarian model in our search for something better than “I’ll get mine at any cost,” “I’ll do as I please,” “I’ll close my eyes to the truth” mentality. We must individually discover that closing ourselves off from eternal truths eventually destroys us personally and collectively. We must blend what has always been true from the past — the basic values — with what is best about the newer such as self-authorization and individual potential while thoughtfully determining our own limits. 

As we struggle ahead, we must remember that our relationships are suffering a terrific blow. Because of the coronavirus epidemic, children, especially, need to feel that they are precious and that the world is not a threatening place. Keeping ourselves apart from each other will cause an unprecedented distancing that is likely to change the way we relate to others for good — leading to even more social isolation. As children learn that keeping separated from everyone and keeping your distance is the protocol, won’t this impact their relationships now and in the future? You wonder what goes through the minds of children as so many people (including their parents) have suddenly been hiding behind face masks.

If we want to get back to “normal” or some semblance thereof, it would be prudent to pay attention to what some wise authors have offered. “It is only by following the guidance of a healthy conscience that we will have the confidence to know not only what we will do, but also what we will not do according to our own and our society’s best interest. Our ethical choices must not be blunted by ignorance, fearful compliance or narcissistic self-obsession.” They must be elevated by education, honesty and compassion.

We must grasp what David Brooks wrote in his column of May 24 in the Mercury News — “The COVID-19 pandemic is the first invasion of America.” “The American identity that grows up during a plague can have the humanity of shared vulnerability, the humility that accompanies understanding life’s precariousness and a fierce solidarity that emerges during a long struggle against an invading force.”

Since 1984, Dorothy Dimitre has written more than 1,000 columns for various local newspapers. Her email address is gramsd@aceweb.com.