1. Coronavirus update…
Simply put, this virus is fairly benign for most of us. However, the concern is how contagious it is, and its effect on the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. The action to shut down sporting events, schools, and other highly populated events and activities was confusing to me at first, but makes more sense now. They are trying to contain the spreading, or slow the rate at which it spreads. This will reduce how many people will become infected, but also help reduce the burden that will be placed on hospitals, by slowing down how fast the virus hits, which is what happened in Italy. I’m going to keep this short, as I intend to put out a quick video within a couple of days with more details on what I know and think about this pandemic. In a nutshell… I believe this virus will continue to hit us, and the numbers of infections and deaths will go up exponentially. I believe the action being taken does make sense (based on what has happened to numbers in China and Italy once they locked down). I know that many people will be exposed to the virus and NOT get sick. I know that most people that get the virus will have mild to moderate symptoms. I do believe immune compromised and elderly individuals should take extra precautions. I am very grateful that most people who get infected will not die and that kids are safe. (According to a study done by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention of 72,000+ cases of coronavirus in China, only about 0.2% of deaths were 19 years old and younger.) I believe this will not be a 3-week thing, but more likely a 3-6 month thing. Boosting your immune system is the one thing that is not being talked about. You can sit around and HOPE you don’t get sick, or make healthier choices to help ensure you do not get sick, or have limited risk of complications if you do get sick. Reduce sugar intake. Consume whole, real foods. Drink plenty of water. Get plenty of rest. Take vitamin D3 (I take 7000 I.U. per day right now). And know that stress and fear negatively impact your immune system… so don’t panic or get overly stressed about what’s going on right now. Oh… and unless mandated to do so, I will have normal business hours. The care that we provide has a huge impact on the immune system and overall health, making the care that we provide another thing on the list to help in times like this.
2. Sign that caught my attention…
I was heading to a wrestling tournament in Alliance and passed a farm market that had one of those signs with changeable quotes on it. I am not familiar with the market itself, but I love the words they had on that sign. I had to stop when passing it on the way back and take a pic. It said… “EAT LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT.” So simple, yet sooooo true. Here’s the actual sign…
3. A change in perception I had this week…
In lieu of all the coronavirus hype this week, we thought watching the movie Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks, would be a good change of focus. Funny thing, I never cared for the Mr. Roger’s show. In fact, I despised it… I think because in a desperate search for something to watch on Saturday mornings, on the measly three or four stations we had access to, I was bummed it was that instead of Tom and Jerry or Looney Tunes. I never really gave it a shot. Turns out Fred Rogers was an exceptional human being, with an exceptional way of communicating with children about tough topics. He was a very overweight child and was severely bullied as a child. Fortunately, he was able to funnel his negative feelings and do good things in his life. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he was not an exceptional being just by nature… he worked very hard to be that way. A key to his success… a very disciplined life that started out with strong rituals every morning. It got me thinking about being more strict with my daily rituals. I was happy to have a completely different outlook and opinion of a man that I had thought a certain way about my whole life.
