He expressed some level of incredulity that the bulk of those protesting restrictions intended to stem the spread of COVID-19 tended to skew younger, reasoning that they had their whole lives ahead of them once the virus is under control.
As restrictions continue to drag, of course, it’s hard for anyone to maintain a sense of optimism about when that will be. But if you put yourself in the shoes of a senior for half a sec, it’s even tougher to keep up good spirits. It’s a demographic that had faced issues of isolation and loneliness long before the first utterance of “coronavirus.”
Pair that with a feeling of being particularly susceptible to the virus, swift removal of most recreational and social opportunities, and, potentially, issues accessing the same technologies that have been reasonable substitutes for many, it’s easy to see how these builders of our society have been particularly hard hit. There’s undoubtedly someone out there who will need to make peace that they’ve thrown their last stone and didn’t know it at the time.
On the other end of the spectrum, it’s heartbreaking to think of how many kids are missing out on the opportunities generally offered during childhood because of the pandemic (and this acknowledgement, of course, is not meant at all to erase the experiences of those who never even had those privileges pre-pandemic for any number of reasons).
Organizations are doing their best to adapt within the necessary safety constraints, shifting everything from dances to club meetings online and reining in athletic activities so that it’s a crush of practice and training with the hope of games and competitions seeming to be just a speck on the horizon. For those who dream of reaching their sport’s pinnacle, it’s a great chance to truly hone in on their skills; for most kids, though, who just want to play, it’s a tough pill to swallow.
There are only so many years of childhood, and while kids are resilient, it’s unfair to them to ask them to be so, for so long.
We’re all missing out on something, and while it’s incredibly frustrating to see some of the more recent public health orders appear to be about rearranging the deck chairs than doing anything substantial, it’s still imperative to play it safe. When you consider what the youngest and oldest among us are giving up, at least to me, it makes a random spell in my mid-30s pale in comparison.
Dan Falloon is the sports editor for Pique Newsmagazine. He is writing on a variety of topics for The Chief during the pandemic.
