Panic

At first I was amused. The father (two child seats wrapped in plastic posed as his parental ID) in front of me at the airport check-in wore an ill fitting wide brimmed hat, a blue with white patterned handkerchief tied loosely around his face (1880’s train robber style) and light blue plastic gloves. Lol. Was the hat on purpose?

Then I noticed a family of four wearing dust masks. The kind I wear while I’m haying for my Dad, just to give my allergic lungs a fighting chance. Then another mask wearing group and another and another. Did they all know something I don’t know? Are they the wise ones and I’m the only face-mask-free idiot? Is the fool the last one to know who the fool in the room is?

I actually felt my heart beat rise, my blood pressure increase as a small shot of adrenaline hit my system. And I wasn’t even trying to buy toilet paper. 

There is a scene in Stand by Me where one character vomits and the entire audience watching the pie eating contest gets caught up in the reaction. It would seem that panic is another one of those primate emotions, like flight or fight, that we can revert to in a single moment. When all the outward signals from your fellow riders on this cosmic journey is “PANIC” how does one keep a level head? What is “level” even? Everyone is selling their stocks! Sell! Sell! Are you the foolish buyer? Or the wise contrarian?

I had no real reason to experience elevated stress at the Air Canada check-in counter. I understand how to minimize viral threats. I believe I’m currently not infected and contagious (had my temp taken 15 times in last 3 days). However I still started to feel that spiral of helpless panic coming towards me. My first defensive thought: “Think dammit!”. Observe what is happening. Rise above the moment. Scour the knowledge you have gathered. Is this real? Is this approaching reaction warranted? Should I flip out right now? Will that help?  Can I look good in an 1880’s handkerchief mask?

There was a time in my life where the above set of cascading emotions and conscious “fight or flight” feelings occurred and I consciously chose “fight”. When the guy came at me, I punched him hard once, I then got the hell out of there. Sometimes fight, then flight, is the right answer. 

However here at the Sydney airport, while observing fathers just trying to keep their kids safe, punching this virus in the face is not an option. 

So we move on. We wash our hands. We try not to touch our face. We keep 6 ft between us and other travellers. We spend money on the things we like or need, and we live our lives. When this is over; do I want to look back and feel shame at my toilet paper hoarding, or do I want to look back with pride at the conscious decisions my evolved-past-the-monkey brain helped me make? I choose pride instead of shame. I choose informed decisions, I choose one package of toilet paper at a time, and I hope you will too. 

 

So while your less evolved neighbours hide behind their TP forts and share fake news memes; stay calm, keep your distance, buy that thing you want or need, support local businesses, and face punch that virus via your soapy hands.  

Blessings, 

Dwayne from Home Quarantine, Day 0/14