CORONAVIRUS AND CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES BY ROSLYN ROZBRUCH (FOOD FOR THOUGHT)
I miss the ‘80s disco era when the biggest fear of my generation was kissing someone and contracting herpes. Times change, and so have our fear of viruses. Not that anyone wants herpes; it’s just not the No. 1 feared virus anymore. As I write this, California is on a stay-at-home order, and hopefully by the time you read this, instead of us all singing from the windows of our homes like they did in Italy, we will be on the other side of the curve. I realize the crisis varies state by state. Last night, the mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, gave his nightly television speech and warned us all of mass death, saying, “Giving people false hope will crush their spirits and will kill more people.” Well, alrighty then. I got it — I’m staying home. I’m not staying home 24/7, but I’m also not playing volleyball on the beach. And here the year 2020 started off so promising with everyone having such a “clear vision” of the future. But chaos happens, bad things happen, and how we deal with it is what matters most. Here’s what I am doing: I’m getting up every morning and getting ready for the day like always. And even though I don’t know how this will all play out, there are moments when I feel like I’m in the eye of the storm— the center of a cyclone, where it’s quiet, the sky is blue, and it’s calm. My eye of the storm here in Los Angeles is that it’s so nice to get in my car and drive! There’s no traffic. For many of you, you probably can’t relate to the traffic of LA, but it’s the thing we talk about here. It hasn’t been this traffic-free since the 1984 Summer Olympics when almost everyone left town because they thought it would be too crowded. The air is clearer than I can remember, and Michael and I are walking every night after work. This is the thing we’ve been talking about doing for years , and now we’re really doing it because there’s almost nothing else to do, and sometimes you need a break from binge-watching shows like “Tiger King” on Netflix. When the dust settles, or I should say when the virus is no longer among us, there will be change. David Bowie coined the phrase “ch-ch-ch-ch-changes” in his 1972 song, “Changes,” and even though he wasn’t singing about viruses, no matter what, change is inevitable because everything changes. Even as I write this, I see how many of you modified how you’re doing business. Right before the stay-at-home order was issued, many of you, our members, and even Michael and I set up our offices from home and made it so our employees could do the same. When you’re forced to adapt, it’s amazing how quickly you can learn, and
Roslyn and Michael on a social distancing walk
David Bowie coined the phrase ‘ch-ch-ch-ch-changes’ in his 1972 song, ‘Changes,’ and even though he wasn’t singing about viruses, no matter what, change is inevitable because everything changes.
everyone learned really quickly how to set up their Zoom accounts and share Dropbox files. Even socially, my friends are doing Zoom happy hours and book club meetings. I bet you each have a story of your own that shows your resilience and what you’ve done to make the best out of a bad situation. This isn’t the first time we as a country have been challenged by a crisis, and what I’ve seen in the past and what I see now is how it brings out the unity in people. Oh sure, there are those who will be selfish or take advantage of the situation, but for the most part, I see more caring and kindness.
I will always reminisce about the ‘80s, disco, and big hair, but I will also change with the times. Here’s to you. Stay healthy, focused, and adaptable.
–Roslyn Rozbruch
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