Lessons Of The Lockdown

The term "lockdown," is now associated with the attempt to slow or stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The virus is real, the risks are real, and the lessons learned from the lockdowns are real. Some of the lessons learned were intended, others were not. There is legitimate debate about the efficacy of the lockdown, the wearing of masks, and social distancing. One thing is not debatable, the lessons learned are real, but many of the unintended lessons may be the most real, and the most unsettling. For example, we have learned that: Infants and small children have difficulty processing emotions and perceptions without the benefit of full facial expressions, Children deprived of diverse social interactions do not develop as healthy interpersonal skills as children participating in actual group settings, A virtual world is a flat-screen world without the depth of experience filled with the normal nuances of human life, Personal isolation can quickly morph into feelings of distress, distrust, and fear with real harmful psychological and physiological consequences, People can be divided into two classes, those who comply, and those who do not. Those who comply care about others, and those who do not are a threat, The elderly, infirm and otherwise physically vulnerable can be protected from friends, and family for their so-called "own good," to the point that they live and even die essentially in isolation from the very thing they need most - the presence of the ones they love, When people die, there is no obligation for a full funeral. A small group of essential personnel can perform a truncated (or online) service, Cremation is a cost-saving, and efficient way to dispose of the body,