Corona Can’t Defeat the Human Spirit

As sad as is makes me having been someone who studied journalism in college, the fact is that the news is generally negative. If it was a Disney character, it would be Eeyore. If it was a Saturday Night Live sketch charter, it would be Debbie Downer. But as so often is the case, the media doesn’t tell the whole story. As country singer Luke Bryan put it “I believe most people are good.”

The kindness and generosity displayed over the last few months has been incredible. It even inspired me to use a website I run to help those who are either out of work or losing hours http://corkboardz.com/index.php/stepping-up-against-corona/. But, I’d rather mention the amazing things I’ve either been a part of in some way or have learned about from other people.

When it comes to creative solutions, it’s inspiring what people can come up with. Men and women young and old are taking it upon themselves to make masks and prepare meals for those in need and are either asking nothing or very little in return. Musical artists are preforming free online concerts to battle boredom and provide an uplifting release from these uncertain times. Those who have extra supplies and food are putting them in front yard lending libraries for those who do not.

Small businesses have gone online and used tools like Facebook Live to become their own mini QVCs both helping to keep them going during these times and providing a safe way to people to shop. My small town of Mebane, North Carolina has something going on almost every day. Retails that are typically competitors are helping each other and even doing joint broadcasts. Restaurants are selling family meals and some of the supplies like pizza dough and sauce. People who are doing OK financially are spending more in their communities to help local retails.

As for big businesses, many of which often get a bad rap, tons have really stepped up. There are distilleries all over the country now switching gears and making hand sanitizer. There are clothing companies like Jockey and My Pillow turning their manufacturing focus to making masks and protective clothing for medical workers and first responders. There are restaurant chains like Texas Roadhouse and Cracker Barrel who continue to pay their wait staff while they cannot work. Others like McDonalds are providing free lunches to school children. We have got car makers and tech companies building ventilators, social media giants offering small business grants and even credit card companies and banks working with people in financial jeopardy.

The media tells us about the total cases of this pandemic and the lives taken by this illness. But rarely do you hear about the massive group of people recovering and that several countries are getting a grip on this horrible condition.

While this is certainly not a good thing, anyone who steps back and really takes a look can see things going on in their homes and neighborhoods that have either never happened before or have seemed to fade away from our society.

People are actually talking to each other rather than staying glued to their devices. Families are sitting down and eating meals together. People are taking this time to learn new skills, get to those projects they’ve been procrastinating on for months or years and overall improve themselves. We are gaining a very serious appreciation for the everyday man and woman working at the supermarket, pharmacy, restaurant and child care center.

If we gain anything from this terrible period we should take away these two lessons. First, we are all capable of great kindness and should try to retain that long after this is over with. Second, no invisible menace of a virus can ever compare to the power of the human spirit.