Thursday, May 7, 2020

You Outrank Superman!


When you were stocking the shelves at the local market, you didn't know could outrank Superman, did you?  
  
As your drove your bus, you never expected to overshadow Wonderwoman.
  
As you tended to a patient, or cleaned a hospital room, or delivered a meal, you didn't think anyone would say you eclipse the Green Lantern.
  
But you do. 

This is a heartfelt 'thank you'.  
  
Some of you never expected to be front line heroes.  
   
Thank you to the Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics, Police, EMTs, Firefighters, Caretakers and Aides, Army Corps of Engineers, Transport Drivers, the Grocery and Pharmacy Employees. Thank you to the people responsible for cleaning the rooms, providing food.  THANK YOU!
  
When most of us are practicing safe distancing and self-isolation to avoid spreading the virus, you breach the line in order to help us do that. Thank you!
  
This is supposed to be a blog about travel.  But today, it's about 'here and now.'  
Here?  The Boston area. New England.  The United States. The planet Earth.
Now?  2020.  A world modified by a pandemic, COVID-19.
  
I've talked to friends and family throughout the United States, in Israel, in Australia, and we are all in the same situation.
  
So before I refocus on travel, I say 'thank you.'
  
If you're one of the many people on the front line, thank you!
  
If, like me--you're not on the front line--reach out to thank someone who is.  Or make a donation to a charity that is helping those who can't get paid because of the business closures that will protect us from the virus. 
  
That's the priority right now. I want to thank those who are helping and I want to help ...somehow.
  
Occasionally I've posted about about local places of interest and events -- "The Tourist at Home".
    
The tourist is definitely at home now.  I will return to the travel writing soon.  The ending of the trip to Machu Picchu is long overdue.  When I go back to writing about travel, I hope it will provide a distraction to those of us who need one.
  
But first,  T H A N K    YOU   to all of you on the front lines.  We have a new definition of superhero now.