The COVID Addendum:
Excerpt from Daily Cures, Wisdom for Healthy Aging by Connie Mason Michaelis
When I started to compile this book in February of 2020, I had very little information concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and how it would impact our lives. As of May 2020, we are all keenly aware of it. Since I have continued to write about current events from the viewpoint of the Elder, I have included several articles that have appeared in the To peka Capital-Journal and the Arizona Daily Independent. I hope they offer some comfort and insight for the future.
The Challenges of Our Times
I’m reading a fascinating book, Get Well Soon, History’s Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them, by Jennifer Wright. Yes, you read correctly---plagues! It is a terrifying book that details the most devastating pandemics the world has suffered and died from. The book starts with the Antonine Plague (165 to 180 AD) which contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire, decimating the Roman army and one-third of the population. She continues through the Bubonic Plague, Black Plague, smallpox, syphilis, tuberculosis, cholera, lep rosy, typhoid, polio, and many more obscure diseases like the Dancing Plague.
These epidemics alone may have killed over 250 million people. The author predicts that there undoubtedly will be more in the future*. Today we consider the basic tenants of the germ theory, hygiene, clean water to be nothing but common sense. We look back at these poor souls as ignorant and superstitious, believing that evil spirits caused illness and death when it was just an infected flea.
The best part of this book is that Wright promises that there will be cures for the things we suffer from today, like Alzheimer’s, Lou Gehrig’s, and cancer. Historically, it always follows that heroes find a cure. We call these heroes scientists, doctors, and researchers.
The other champions that are a part of this story are the people who cared for the sick, usually to comfort them as they died. I see many heroes today that are caregivers for those that suffer from dementia, Parkinson’s, and diabetes. Although those who pray for cures today may never re alize the benefit, their prayers will be answered sooner or later. From that standpoint, the book is a wonderful encouragement. By looking back at history, we see how fortunate we are to live in these times and how optimistic we can be for the future! *This article was written one month before the onset of 2020 COVID-19The first article:
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