THE ALLURE OF SELF-ISOLATION

"The sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection."

                                       from Introduction to Liberty, John Stuart Mill
                                                       1806-1873


I was awakened this morning from a sound sleep by an errant smoke alarm whose battery had seen its end and felt the need to socialize.  It was 5 am and, after attending to it, efforts to return to my slumber met with dismal failure as thoughts for my next blog raced through my head.  It has been about a month from the previous post and I realized I could count the number of times I've left the house on two hands.  This "new normal" has taught me many things, one of which is, will things ever be the same again?  I've read articles by futurists who proclaim that much of what we've done in the past is superfluous and that we could all benefit by streamlining our lives and our desire for "things".





For all intents and purposes, I could essentially be in a minimum-security prison, but with all the benefits of home, books, communication, a welcoming kitchen, and, most important, the company of my spouse, Suzanne, who works diligently on her many community projects with calls, zoom meetings, and writing.  I just finished a great Alan Furst spy novel and am now reading "An American Family", about the McCarthy witch hunt in the '50's. It's nowhere as bad as it could be when I think of those less fortunate in crowded habitats, no internet connection, food insecurity, and even lack of a roof over there heads. As long as I can get a three-mile walk in several times a week, I find I'm actually liking this isolation!

Once I orient myself to what day of the week it is, and glance at my calendar, it can be a busy day...or not.  There's no shame in doing nothing for a day, unless you're a Calvinist with the Protestant Work Ethic hanging over your head.  My day can fill up with Board meetings, reading, calling old friends I haven't spoken to in quite some time, some food prep, or streaming a film.  Last week, I helped mentor 16 1st year medical students in Adolescent Medicine, with a standardized patient...all on Zoom.  I attend Grand Rounds at the medical center as well as my monthly discussion group.  Just last night we delved into a timely topic, "Inequality".  I have signed up as a volunteer for the Medical Reserve Corps, hopefully to do shifts on the Coronavirus hotline.  Believe me, they don't want a 75 yr. old semi-retired doctor in an ED or an ICU managing ventilator settings, something I haven't done in many years.  BUT...I can talk to people, listen, and answer their concerns while remaining safe.  When I first encouraged my local colleagues to volunteer, I ended up having three TV interviews, including "Inside Edition"!

 

Long walks with my wife have been delightful, making new discoveries on each route we take and appreciating the beautiful city we live in.  So many people here are not fully aware of our river, the Genesee, that flows north into Lake Ontario, with its powerful streaming over dams, becoming scenic waterfalls.  The architecture of downtown has been another aspect to be treasured.  We wear our masks and avoid passers-by, giving them a wide berth or crossing the street.  There really IS an etiquette of social distancing, albeit an important one as, in my readings and communications with my on-line critical care group, I have come to realize that viral spread and shedding can come from joggers and bicyclists who whiz by you, perilously close.  Maybe we're old fogies, but we often find it is we who have to get out of the way of younger people as they approach in our direction.

Evenings have brought back the five o'clock cocktail hour, whether its to our betterment or not.  A glass of wine, fine bourbon or Japanese whiskey won't kill you, particularly when you partake in socializing with friends and family over Zoom!  We're socializing far more than we normally do, having even Zoomed with family and friends in the UK, Germany, and Cyprus.

The other realization I've come to is whether in-person meetings are necessary. I can wake up ten minutes before an early morning meeting, brush my hair, throw a shirt on, and "be at the table", all the while, perhaps, while wearing pajama bottoms and having bare feet!

Home delivery of food is another luxury, thanks to the courage of frontline folks who do your shopping.  Big tips are in order for what they do, as I don't believe any 75 y.o. should go into a crowded supermarket!  Pandemics bring out the best and worst in people!  There's courage and duty displayed by those confronting the virus in the hospitals and the community...then, there's hoarding and ignoring of recommendations by our public health officials, scoffing at social distancing.

Where do we go from here?  I have stopped watching the 2+ hour pressers from the 45th President of the US and have hitched my wagon to the bright, insightful, fact-filled mid-day conferences by our Governor, Andrew Cuomo, who at the same time, displays great management skills, humor and pathos.  No matter what one might think of him politically, he is doing a great job.  Just yesterday, he formed a coalition of 7 neighboring states to start a process for SAFELY re-opening our area of the country, each state having a public health expert, a Governor's Chief of Staff, and their top economic development official on the team.  Meanwhile, in sharp contrast, the president has a group to do the same thing nationally, without a single public health expert, physician, epidemiologist, on a team that includes political hacks including his daughter and son-in-law.   It will be interesting (and perhaps frightening) to see which group prevails.

One thing I can say for sure is that this phenomenon of self-isolation induces a state of introspection and a personal re-assessment of what is important in life.  As I am soon to become a grandfather for the first time, health stands out for me, but also an altruistic sense of concern for others, particularly the less fortunate.  I am a very lucky man but we are all vulnerable...so, as I said in my last post,
STAY HOME,  STAY SAFE,  KEEP HEALTHY!