Portrait

For those who are religiously inclined, this moment in time may be the “end times,” the fabled Armageddon. Certainly now with the prospect that about 150 million people in empire alone could contract SARS-CoV-2 given the level of government incompetence, deliberate or not. Only 80 percent are expected to recover. The other 20 percent are at the mercy of a debilitated
healthcare system.

Right now, there is a lot of misinformation, a lot of false bravado, and a lot more confusion circulating. Here in Hawai’i, a false sense of security has been foisted onto the unsuspecting public. Only two confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infections here. And, only 32 people have been tested so far. That with nearly infinite close proximity interactions with people from all over the planet. Other places, not so lucky. How is that? But, that is neither here or there.

Deep inside, most clinically sane individuals have already seen through the cognitive dissonance fog. The realization that the novel coronavirus has most likely been incubating and spreading for about a month now in Hawai’i gels into reality. With no intervention, the hidden cases increase exponentially. Suddenly, the pulse races as the thought of already being a carrier of the disease flashes through the mind. A tug-of-war of denial ensues, but the truth prevails.

That’s when the Kübler-Ross model, or the five stages of grief, takes over. It does not matter whether the morbidity rate is skewed toward decrepit senior citizens. There is still a finite probability that death will occur because of complications regardless of age. So, smugness is not an option.

Personally speaking, this has been a good time. “Social distancing” has already been a regular ritual, so the universal acceptance of the latter now is a welcome relief. The significant decrease in tourists has made life so much more pleasurable. There’s more personal space. There is a better sense of solitude. The ambient noise has been turned down several notches. Encounters with stupidity have decreased. There is nothing like a semi-quiet dinner experience. Riding an empty bus is not as eerie as it sounds. Being the only customer in a store is rewarded with good service. Time moves slower. Even the homeless have had a reprieve from tyranny. Is it all worth the possibility of being infected by the novel coronavirus? Yes and no.

Homeless Guy Enjoying Pandemic Solitude

There will not be another portrait in time like this, at least in Hawai’i. When the “all clear” signal is given, everything will return to the frenetic “normal.” Those who perish in the pandemic will be forgotten. Perhaps it is best to perish now than to return to the wretched state-of-affairs prior.