Can it Ever Be Normal Again?

Life as we know it will probably never be the same again.

A few weeks back I posted, based on my personal encounters with government officials with CDC, that I didn’t believe that this pandemic was as serious as it was reported.  I was called out.  I argued back.  Then the post was shut down because of its political nature.

Let me just say it here.  I was wrong.  I misjudged this whole thing.  I apologize for what was my stubborn miscalculation of events.  We are experiencing something that never has been experienced.  When the whole world’s economy shuts down, the ramifications can be endless.  Are we in for another great depression?  I certainly hope not.

The world has changed significantly.  We may never be able to visit family and friends in hospitals again.  Which probably is a good thing, as difficult as that will be.  My mother-in-law undergoes heart surgery on Tuesday, replacing her malfunctioning pacemaker.  She simply can’t wait any longer.  We are all preparing our “good byes” because you never know.  She’s about as vulnerable as can be with her pre-existing medical condition and age.

There are lines at supermarkets, post offices.  Basic services are limited.  Try to find a notary public to get a legal document signed these days.  I had to do that.  Took me a week and I felt like I walked into the E.R. to simply leave a wet signature and a thumb print.

I hope we see sports again, but deep down, how important is that?  Do you realize that for the first time in over one 140 years or so, there have been no spectator sports conducted on a major scale in the entire world.  Think of that.  Not one game where an audience congregated to watch.  That is astounding.  My son was watching re-runs of baseball and basketball games.  He mocked getting excited when he knew the outcome in advance.  Doesn’t work for me.

When the Dodgers announced that the impasse had broken on the TV deal, that should have been a BIG DEAL.  But it turned out to be a big “whoopteedoo.”  Too little, too late.  About seven years too late.  It was so appropriate that the whole thing was announced on April Fool’s Day.

All the hoopla and enthusiasm we had for the 2020 season was deflated as fast as the air escapting from a pin pricked Dodger Stadium beach ball.  Now it looks like the Betts deal may be a big viral bust, and you really can’t blame anyone but the Big Dodger in the Sky for it.  No one is at fault.  Circumstances and fate are to blame.

Stan Kasten said that when the pandemic lifts and the world opens up again, Baseball will be a national celebratory event and let the country know that we have overcome this scourge.  I hope he’s right.  I hope that our enthusiasm will return and that a 100-game season can somehow salvage the year.  At the moment, its tough to envision it.  I get up, strap on that gun and vest, don the facemask and gloves and try to get through the day without touching anything that might contain the wretched virus. 

A lot of us are shut in and that seems about as depressing as can be.  I would say that we just need to ride this out because we have been there before, but we haven’t.  That good old American, (and Canadian…didn’t want to leave you out Harold), resoive is what we need to fall back on.  This is 2001 again, but it is directly affecting us all now.  This could be 1929 again, and we’ll have to work within ourselves to rebuild and start over in what could be a shattered world-wide economy.

The Dodgers?  MLB?  They will always be a part of our lives, but there’s so much at stake.  Watching millionaires entertain us on the diamond may or may not be a part of the recovery.  I hope they are, but I’m not going to dwell on it.  There seems to be too many other important things to overcome in our fragile existence.  If there’s anything we’ve all come to grips with in the past month it is the fragility of life that we come to grips with every day.

Be safe everyone.