Diary 22

Thursday, April 9th

We’ll start with the good news: Norway has decided to re-open kindergartens on April 20th and other schools a week later. Malls are already open, although borders remain very firmly closed, and there will be restrictions on public events until June 15th. Norway is, of course, a small country, with a spread-out population of 5.4 million – fewer than the number of people on Manhattan Island. Their death toll was less than 100. The other difference is that they implemented very strict procedures right from the start. I’m very happy for them, and rather sad for us, since our situation is very different – and will remain so for some time. Still, it does show that this virus can be contained and tamed, if only we take the right actions and stick to them.

Other good news is that the price of gas locally is down to $1.75. I still don’t have any desire to go anywhere.

Today, Thursday, was Passover and tomorrow will be Good Friday so this is a pretty good time to think about our place in the universe, about Spring and renewal. In both the Christian and the Jewish stories the renewal came at considerable human cost. The first born of Egypt on one hand, and the crucifixion of the Son of God. Perhaps the stories are telling us that in order for the new world to be born there has to be a breaking away, even a destruction of what was, until then, usual.

Because whatever our world will be like after all this has settled down, I doubt very much that it will be as it was before. Perhaps, as we watch Norway emerge from all this we can learn something.