I hate writing about COVID-19, but it seems these days that’s about all I can write about. The novel coronavirus has shut down festivals and events left and right in many parts of the country, and there are times when places that were once lively now look like a ghost town.
A good friend of mine from Hayward stopped by my place in Colby on Sunday and we had breakfast at Thiago’s Cafe - that’s the new diner that was formerly known as Amber’s Colby Cafe. Hello Amber! I hope “retirement” is suiting you well.
He spoke to me about a recent trip he made to Madison, and how dead the campus and State Street are. You have to get a pass just to sit on the terrace and have a glass of beer these days. How different from years past.
Hayward on the other hand is busier than Madison, and I guess that’s a good thing. Little tourist towns like Hayward need a strong summer to survive. Tourism is the main staple of its economy, so while the coronavirus has people in Dane County on edge, not so for the hardy residents of Sawyer County.
I can say the same thing for Clark and Marathon County. We are all aware of the pandemic, all aware of the threat it poses. But life, as it is often said, goes on. No man or woman knows how much time we are allowed on this planet.
Only The Guy Upstairs knows that. So it behooves us to find joy even in the face of so much uncertainty. I don’t know about you, but when I shuffle the mortal coil, I want to do it laughing.
I got to do plenty of that over the weekend as I covered softball and volleyball tournaments, Little League games and the Hobbyland Flyers 30th annual Fun Fly.
Some might have questioned putting on these events, letting them happen in the face of COVID-19. Maybe it’s just fatigue, more likely it’s because I am so tired of seeing people scared, but I was glad all these events took place. It was far preferable to hear peals of laughter from children playing and people having a good time then the heart wrenching pleas from a child begging to go outside and play.
I guess I’m just tired of living in fear. Fear can weigh a man or woman down heavier than any anchor, and with far dire consequences. We have discovered many a cure for a disease, but so far there is no vaccine for a broken spirit.
Here and there I can see the semblance of people hard at work on helping us navigate this new world we live in. Teachers, school board members and coaches are trying their hardest to put forth a plan for the upcoming school year.
There is no right answer for that, I fear. So, while you read of the decisions of each school board made in this paper, have a heart. Please know hours of meetings and studies and careful planning took place for each decision. Not everyone will be happy with the decisions made. Or the ones coming down the road.
Some will be happy, some will be sad, but in the end, we all have to live with the choices we make. I know I can live with mine.
M USINGS AND G RUMBLINGS
ROSS PATTERMANN REPORTER
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The bitter taste of uncertainty - Central Wisconsin News - Tribune Phonograph
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