I first heard about Covid-19 on February 4th. I know this precise date because Paul and I were headed to Boston to celebrate our anniversary a few days later, and the news that a new virus originating in China had reached Boston gave us pause.
“Should we go?” Paul and I asked each other at different moments, but neither of us seriously contemplated not going. On February 7th, our wedding anniversary day, there were only 12 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the U.S. and only the first in Mass., not even in Boston. Of course we went.
Our hotel was only a few blocks from Chinatown, whose restaurants we love, and it was Lunar New Year, the biggest event in Chinatown, complete with a parade, featuring lion dancers. I can’t tell you how much I love a lion dance, the giant faces and colorful sinewy bodies shimmying to crashing music. If you ever get the chance to go to a Lunar New Year celebration, take it.
But this year, with the virus headlining news reports, we decided to be cautious and skip the parade, which went on as usual albeit to a nervous crowd. We felt awful missing out and learned plenty of others were doing the same, skipping the events in Chinatown this year. We worried that the Asian community was losing so much business, but still, we were cautious.
We imagined, and worried, that there would be racist backlash against Asians, especially because we have two nieces of Chinese descent. Of course, our worries weren’t misplaced. The top-down, presidential-driven racism was both shocking and predictable.
What we could not imagine then was just how much would shift in our society in a matter of weeks. Let me say this again:
We could not imagine it.
Not just Paul and I, but even the most dystopic visionaries among us never really thought the world would – could – be shut down as it has been. No way all restaurants are closing. No way they’re going to shut down schools for months. No way companies are going find ways for their employees to work at home. No way everyone’s going to wear face masks to protect the people they encounter. No way there will be food shortages. No way will an entire world (almost, Sweden and Montana) will stay at home. No way . . . no way . . . no way. . .
Way.
Plenty of awful things have come from this shut down, but one thing may actually serve us well at this moment of righteous civil unrest. Before Covid-19, we couldn’t imagine our structures crumbling.
But we can now.
We can imagine it.
And to quote the Bionic Woman, we can rebuild her.
Because of Covid-19, we can imagine the dismantling of key structures in our society. And we can now imagine new normals, new ways to rebuild our structures that may be uncomfortable initially but will ultimately serve us better: structures like our police systems – not just departments, but systems — “correctional” facilities, laws, community involvement, economic allocation, etc.
We can imagine it. We can rebuild it.
I blame the quarantine. Thank you quarantine.
–KLB
https://www.boston-discovery-guide.com/chinese-new-year-parade.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/08/minneapolis-city-council-police-department-dismantle