On December 7, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."
Today, in this Covid 19 world, we need not fear what's happening, but instead, use our brains, our sanitary practices and our knowledge to defeat this viral enemy. It's a mindless adversary with only one talent: to transmit itself through human proximity.
At the same time, we might understand that this virus brings a moment of reflection to our lives, communities and nation.
For the moment, let's look at the hysteria foisted upon us by the mainstream media. In the last 28 days of this epidemic, 21,000 Americans suffered death while over 500,000 Americans have been infected. That's around 2 percent death rate.
At the same time, 1,700 Americans die of heart attacks, daily. Another 1,600 die from cancer, daily. Another 227 die from being overweight via diabetes, daily. Over 450,000 Americans die from lung cancer annually by their own hand: smoking. Prostate cancer kills 44,000 men annually. All of those deaths easily preventable by nutrition and exercise! Medical doctors kill off 100,000 Americans by prescribing drugs that cause a reaction and death, annually. Car accidents kill off 38,000 Americans annually. Half of those deaths from drunk drivers! Texting while driving kills over 4,100 annually! Around 527,000 people die from falling off ladders and buildings, annually. Around 6,000 die from being shot. Knife stabbings run around 1,600 annually. Thousands of teenagers die of drug overdoses, annually. The opioid crisis killed over 70,000 in 2019, or over 130, daily.
What questions does this raise as to our choices in this high-speed society? Answer: it's driving a lot of people to death via emotional imbalances, mental anguish and cultural addictions such as tobacco, drugs and alcohol. In other words, we commit ourselves to death much more by our own hands than Covid 19.
Let's pause to reflect. What are we doing or not doing as a society to bring on this much death to ourselves, and, so systematically? Why haven't we addressed it? Found solutions? Why haven't we taken action to implement positive results?
In my own life, I've thought about these items in the past 27 days of self-quarantine:
With the renewal of springtime in our country, may we contemplate deeper thoughts, introspection and balance. Perhaps we might play in the yard with our kids daily. I know my dad played baseball with us every spring and summer. He coached us in football. Mom and dad watched every game in basketball and track. Dad stood on the tennis court to watch us grow. I can't thank my mother and father enough for their nurturing my siblings and me through our younger years.
Is it more meaningful to ride your bike with your kids or walk down the street with them and your spouse?
Instead of that smart phone addiction, how about enjoying the activities of life with friends and family?
What about cooking dinner with your family?
How is remote work more efficient and better for the environment?
Do you need new clothes, trinkets, and devices to be happy?
What about growing a garden to connect you to the earth?
Maybe if enough people wake up to a better way of life, then we can define new metrics of collective success and the myth of endless growth can be repudiated.
Perchance we can create sustainable local economies that don't require exploitation of anonymous workers and landscapes around the globe.
Maybe we can rediscover a passion for civic engagement and reinvigorate the public square.
Perhaps we might care for this wondrous planet much better in the months and years ahead, because in the end, Mother Earth provides us with the ability to live our marvelous lives.
What did my wife Sandi and I do over the weekend? We bicycled to our favorite "Meditation Rock" where we removed our shoes and socks, and planted our feet on the rock for "grounding" ourselves to the planet and its healing vibrations. We gazed over the wilderness, listened the chirping of the black capped chickadees, crows, eagles, robins, sparrows and chattering of the squirrels. We picked up four large bags of trash along the roadway to leave that area much more beautiful. We shared virtual church services. We watched "Highway to Heaven" with the late Michael Landon of "Bonanza" as he came back to Earth as an "angel" to help people out of their own jams. We sat on the front steps to say high to our neighbors and their dogs as they walked about.
(Grounding is a proven method for reharmonizing your body, mind and spirit with the vibrations of this planet. It takes 15 minutes to draw the negative vibrations out of your body and infuse your body with positive vibrations, much like the action of a battery. Keep yourself healthfully charged by "grounding" everyday or as often as possible.)
And with the hope of spring, we filled our hummingbird feeders with nectar in anticipation that our marvelous aerial friends will once again herald the delights of summer.
As to you dear fellow American, thank you for your positive attitude, your conscientious 10-foot social distancing, respect for sanitation and a sense of expectation for better things to come.
"May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sunshine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of his hand."
(Sandi's feet "grounding" to the Earth as she sits on Meditation Rock.)
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Share these videos all over America:
In a five minute astoundingly simple yet brilliant video, "Immigration, Poverty, and Gum Balls", Roy Beck, director of www.numbersusa.ORG, graphically illustrates the impact of overpopulation. Take five minutes to see for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=LPjzfGChGlE&feature=player_ embedded
"Immigration by the numbers—off the chart " by Roy Beck This 10-minute demonstration shows Americans the results of unending mass immigration on the quality of life and sustainability for future generations: in a few words, "Mind boggling!" www.NumbersUSA.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=muw22wTePqQ
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-- Frosty Wooldridge
Golden, CO
Population-Immigration-Environmental specialist: speaker at colleges, civic clubs, high schools and conferences
Facebook: Frosty Wooldridge
Facebook Adventure Page: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World
Www.HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com
Www.frostywooldridge.com
Six continent world bicycle traveler
Speaker/writer/adventurer
Adventure book: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World
Frosty Wooldridge, six continent world bicycle traveler, Astoria, Oregon to Bar Harbor, Maine, 4,100 miles, 13 states, Canada, summer 2017, 100,000 feet of climbing:
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