"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the
stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty,
and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new,
so we must think anew and act" ---Abraham Lincoln
I remember the day I took this photo in Mexico a few years ago. It seems like yesterday... Today, we face new challenges, hopes, and dreams. Although many people feel hopeless, uncertain, and bewildered, I am thankful for new leaders that emerge that I had not heard about before this photo was taken. I believe in Dr. Fauci. "I'm going to keep pushing" ---Anthony Stephen Fauci, Physician and Immunologist, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, born 12/24/1940.
Something to become passionate about when you're sheltered within, is to read good books (public libraries has digital access), learn to understand your history, and please stop relying on Nextdoor, created for "Local Business to connect with your most valuable consumers." Unfortunately, there are many alarmists who are unqualified neighbors, using the site who don't know what they are talking about. Stay in the know by visiting reliable agencies and resources. I found the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) very informative, current, and credible. I also found a photograph (see above) I took during one of my travels and added a quote to ponder by Marie Curie for reflection and hopefully will be an incentive to learn more about our past history. Stay educated by using reliable resources. I'm going to follow Dr. Fauci's advice "I'm going to keep pushing!" I will not allow myself to be rattled by alarmists. By the way, that was not the purpose for the creation of Neighborhood.
Ironically, in 2019 I visited the Holocaust Exhibit and was inspired by the good that came out of the people who changed the world at a very bleak time in history. By the same token, as a result of COVID-19, I have been inspired by a few CDC Heroes who have done great things in recent years. One such person is Amanda MacGurn, a CDC Communication Specialist." Amanda from Oregon was "deployed to help fight the DRC's ongoing Ebola outbreak more than a half dozen times." Amanda's motto is 'It's not over, until it's over.' Another amazing story coming out of the CDC website is about Captain Casey Barton Behrvesh, a Captain born on a small ranch in Texas, a U.S. Veterinarian working for a Human Health Agency. By now, most people heard that in NY a zoo animal contracted COVID-19. "She currently serves as the CDC focal point for implementing an interdisciplinary One Health approach connecting human, animal, and environmental health to address emerging zoonotic and infectious diseases in order to best protect public health."
In sum, somewhere, deeper within myself, I feel more confident and less fearful because COVID-19 is teaching me more than I ever could have imagined ---Patricia Feager
