A Changed Reality

As the corona virus continues to flourish, our world has changed drastically in a very short time, has it not? Now a vast number of people are working from home while at the same time trying to keep their children busy. Not easy. Also not easy to forgo social contacts and activities which are now more or less non-existent.

            I always work from home so, virus or not, that part of my life has not changed much. However being in self-isolation means that the rest of my life is radically different. I miss not participating in the life of the community but most of all not being able to embrace and interact directly with my children and grandchildren. But I am very grateful for the various means of communication available to us today to negate the problem. It keeps contacts with family and friends very much open. One thing is that calling people on the telephone is back in style and very welcome by people staying in their homes and yearning for human contact.

In our new reality, life as we knew it is paused for now.

            Like me, many people are isolating at home. It may not seem so, but everyone who does it may in fact be saving lives as experts put it. In our new reality staying at home and watching a movie may very well be an altruistic act. And, for those who must work, washing their hands often and practicing social distancing is keeping them safe as well as all those they come into contact with.

Who would have said that just a few weeks ago!

 When self-isolaters do go out for essential reasons, including walks, they too must practice social distancing. On my long daily walk I do make certain to stay at least two yards from anyone else I see, especially from the people I know and with whom I may briefly chat.

We will get through this if we work together by staying apart. For now.   

             

New World

We now find ourselves in a crisis of gargantuan proportions due to our modern ease of moving around the planet. In their attempts at controlling the spread of the virus governments have imposed a variety of measures to limit crowds and social interaction. So far such measures seem to be having positive effects, however older people will no doubt suffer the most.         

As I discussed in my last couple of blogs, it is important to socialize if we want to age well. Yet, because of the many social restrictions imposed by authorities to contain COVID-19, less socializing will be the new reality for a time. Social isolation will increase and regrettably lead to more loneliness especially for older individuals who live alone. 

However, people over 65, especially those who have health issues, must be especially vigilant. They should stay home and avoid going into stores. If groceries or medication, including over-the-counter items, are needed, older individuals should ask a relative or a neighbor to shop for them. Or shopping can be done by phone or online if available in their area.

But as I heard a doctor comment: If you stay home for the time being it doesn’t mean that you can’t go for a walk every day.

We don’t know how long this crisis will last before an effective treatment appears on the horizon. In the meantime we should all heed recommendations so we all stay healthy.

The nasty virus was discovered by a scientist in 1968 who gave it the name corona because he thought it resembled a solar corona. There are many strains of the virus. The one we are experiencing now is a new strain which is referred to as the novel coronavirus. When people began being sick it quickly became an epidemic as numbers increased. But it grew into a pandemic when it began to affect people all over the world.

Measures taken to contain the spread of the virus include people being quarantine i.e. confined to their homes for a couple of weeks without going out in the community. Quarantine is for people who may or have been exposed to the virus but do not show any symptoms. Another term used these days is social distancing. It essentially means staying 3 feet away from other people to minimize contacts. Not always easy to do when out in the community, working or shopping. But we should all strive to do all we can to avoid putting anyone at risk.

            As we all know, this too shall pass. Stay well.

Aging Well

As we age we all need to come to terms with the fact that our bodies change. However those changes can be managed easily if we take steps to keep ourselves as healthy as we can in the long term. In short, age well.

            This can be achieved by keeping our immune system strong, says renowned Canadian Scientist David Suzuki, now 83 years old. There are three important elements to ensuring the strength of that system, he says.

            First is the need to exercise regularly. As they age people tend to become more sedentary, but we should all make of point of being physically active every day. This does not mean that activities have to be very intense, but they have to be done regularly. Suzuki suggests that a daily walk will keep the body in shape and will clear the mind.

            Second, proper nutrition is a must as we age. There is lots of information easily available to guide in the preparation of nutritious meals. It is a matter of making the effort. Eating lots of veggies and fruit should always be a priority no matter our age. It’s bound to keep the doctor away.

            Third, to age well we need to feel that we are contributing to society, says Suzuki. Socializing is an important factor in aging well and it can be as simple as babysitting our grandchildren. In helping with youngsters, older people feel proud that they are contributing to the family. There are, of course, many other ways to socialize whether by joining groups that fit our individual talents or by helping people through various volunteer opportunities that abound in every community.

            Making sure our eyes are healthy is another factor that contributes to aging well. Suzuki is worried about the eyes of younger people today. He says that the various screens now in our lives are impacting on the health of young eyes that become glued to one screen or another at a very young age. Youngster should be guided to limit time in front of screens.  

            As we should all do.                                                     

Self-Service

We might not always realize it but the reality is that we increasingly work for big companies – without pay. We are now battling a world of self-service so corporations can operate with as small a staff as possible.

            All because of technology, of course. Companies are taking advantage of the fact that the public can do a lot of unpaid work and thus add to their bottom line. Think about it: while ATMs are very convenient they make us do the work of actual tellers. And we now have to pump our own gas unless we take the trouble of finding filling stations that still serve customers. And when we vacation we are actually travel agents as we search for deals on line; we even print out our own boarding passes.

And we have to book tickets to all sorts of events and concerts on line, and if we encounter a problem it takes forever to get an actual person on the phone to solve the issue.

In recent years, grocery stores have been installing self-serve stations in the hope, I suppose, of one day being able to do business without any staff. That day is already here because grocery stores that operate without any cashiers are actually being tested. Purchases are automatically registered through a hand-held device as items are touched. But be warned, if you help another customer put an item in their cart, you will be billed as if you had purchased it because your device will read it.

Is self-serve efficient? One day when the lines to the actual cashiers were long, I tried the self-serve option. As research has found time after time people scanning their own items takes forever compared with a trained cashier. I was no exception, and I had to wait for an actual person to enter the right code for a discounted item because the machine didn’t trust me. The gall! I decided that in the future I’d wait in line for a real live cashier. After all when spending money in a store, the least I should expect is being treated as a customer not an employee.

Many younger people have not known real service so they don’t miss it, but the end result is that they are losing human contact just as we all are. We may not think so, but even brief exchanges with cashiers and tellers do link us. The self-serve world is becoming much lonelier. It seems to me that there will eventually be a price to pay because I am old fashioned when it comes to our need to interface with other humans.

Experts warn us that healthy aging must include socializing yet life is becoming more and more home centered. Retired individuals who live alone or far from family will surely suffer the most from the lack of contacts, however brief, in our changing society. People don’t go out to movies anymore because there are so many entertainment options on their television. And shopping is done online and delivered, including meals, without our having to talk to anyone. Texting instead of phoning further reduces social interactions.

The experts have it right: chatting even briefly with others while shopping is socializing that is good for our mental health. If the trend continues and people hardly talk to each other I believe the world will be faced with increasingly poor aging.