Letters: This epidemic will reveal our fears

The outbreak and spread of the COVID-19 continues to ravage our planet and ignite our social reaction or action. Even while in the midst of it our public health officials from the front lines voice their guidance and precautionary expectations of the general public — still some citizens have yet to comply with self-isolation, social distancing, and frequent hand washing advice.

And in not doing so they may be contaminated unknowingly, thus further infect their loved ones, as well as others in proximity.

In order for the general public to be stay safe and healthy we need to heed to and trust those working in the front lines of this pandemic. The sacrifices made by these individuals are commendable and at times beyond their call of duty.

They have families, loved ones, relatives and other close associates. These are the public health workers, law enforcement officials, public administrators and other dedicated few, including our entrusted political servants. Obviously they are putting their very lives on the line for our public safety and well-being.

Therefore, listen to them and comply.

Moreover, what seems to foster and prolong our dilemma is the ambivalence of certain political officials, their allied media, backed by their supporters, from within the dominant society. As daily news unfolds it is as though they are unaware of the dark forces that overshadows and muddle their judgments of what is the greater good, for they seemed obsessed with negative energy.

Possibly out of desperation and fear they continue to spread their false claims, misinformation and exaggerations. However, it is with public optimism that those entrusted with political authority do not squander away anticipated opportunities on how to overcome this pandemic, which is presented to them as science by public health officials.

For the general public, how we respond to this contagion will be revealed by the choices we make or not make, which determines our character as who we really are. What will be exposed is the want for the one of selfish excess versus the sharing of needs of shortfalls to the many.

This epidemic will reveal our fears or may instill us with determination to overcome. It will further expose our strengths and weaknesses, including our willful ignorance or our sharing of acquired wisdom, as our planet is invaded by a very complex microscopic parasite of which can be of no coincidence.

This pandemic could be a warning for a time for renewal. And the year 2020 seemed like the light of dawn for a new age to the higher realms of peace and progress.

Instead on the third month, most of us are now in our self-imposed house arrest, in quarantine for cleansing.

With what we experience, afterwards, do we continue down the same path without change from within and without?

As indigenous people, let this be a time for self-reflection and to think of how to reconnect our relationship with each other and the natural world, whereby we proceed to a higher level of spiritual evolution — but only if we express our worthiness to do so.

This could be an age of reawakening, to reclaim our long-forgotten natural attributes and abilities of curiosity, instinct, foresight, critical thinking, compassion and self-reliant, to name a few.

And as our internal and outer conflicts pass, it will be our choice to render our destiny. May we be blessed by the absolute compassion of the truth of the universe.

And yes, most definitely, on the far distant horizon, more changes for the positive are coming.

Robert L. Hosteen
Beclabito, N.M.

Saluting nation’s unsung heroes during pandemic

In spite of the uncertainty that coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused, there are still many industries filled with hard-working men and women who are continuing to work amid the coronavirus outbreak.

From hospitals to delivery services, to physical security companies to pharmacies, to grocery stores, transportation and logistics companies, there are many employees who, while they may not wear capes, are our nation’s heroes.

These largely unsung heroes are helping us survive this crisis by driving vehicles filled with crucial supplies, stocking store shelves, filling prescriptions and providing essential public safety services.

Now is the time to share your appreciation or our nation’s unsung heroes. While most of are thankful for the doctors, nurses and emergency workers who are tending to the sick, we should also be appreciative for the men and women who hold essential jobs that require they show up to work during the pandemic.

Consider thanking your supermarket’s shop clerk who is doing their best to keep the shelves stocked with necessities and the cashier who is ringing up the purchases. Express your gratitude to the Amazon delivery person who brought essentials to your home.

As the CEO of a company that employs over 235,000 employees, I salute our hard-working highly trained men and women that are our country’s first responders.
Nationwide, there are over 1 million security professionals on the job who have a wide range of skills. They can be put in high-risk situations as they confront and detain criminals engaged in theft, trespassing, gang activity and every other manner of unlawful behavior that occurs. Real world security professionals work in partnership with local law enforcement as some previously served in law enforcement and military positions.

These well-trained security professionals monitor and patrol facilities and are ready to respond quickly and effectively in any situation. During this challenging time, the physical security sector continues to provide essential public safety services. Security-sector clients, and the public at large, rely on security professionals to keep our communities safe and secure.

Employees, shareholders and other stakeholders look to their business leaders for strength and direction. Let’s salute company leaders who are sharing their intel to help others during this challenging time.

For example, some leaders are publicly sharing their crisis plans, which include employee communications with information about COVID-19, how it’s transmitted, what they’re doing about it, employee FAQs, and links to resources with more information.

Steve Jones
Santa Ana, Calif.

Editor’s note: Steve Jones is CEO of Allied Universal.

The superpower of being present

I turned to my 2-year-old daughter with a simple ask: “Can you worry about tomorrow for me?”

Blank stare.

“All I am asking is that you worry about tomorrow. Just follow the lead of us adults who make it look easy. Now, can you do that for daddy?”
Blank stare.

Now, a quick question for all of us – how much of each day do we spend worrying about the future, particularly as it relates to coronavirus? How much time is our mind spent on tomorrow, next week, April, June, etc.?

I would have gotten a similar blank stare if I were to demand that my daughter worry about what happened yesterday, last week, or 30 minutes ago.

Think of the children in your life, in your family. Bring their presence to mind and imagine what a wonderful superpower they possess: an inability to live anywhere but the present. Their superpower is living in the moment.

This moment, the COVID-19 chapter of our world and of our lives, implores us to be more like our children in this regard.

Being present is a wonderful thing. It relieves stress caused by focusing on failures of the past and worries of the future. Both realms are un-reachable, largely un-changeable. But at the same time, they both entice and tease our minds such that we often find ourselves everywhere but in the moment as we focus on changing what has already passed or what may (or may not) come to be.

Living as our children model so well, in the moment, has an immediate influence on our health and wellness. Tuning out the constant barrage of news about coronavirus and tuning into what is before you will bring calm, serenity, and a sense that all is okay. It will allow you to enjoy the moment, the small pleasures our senses offer us, things that pass us by when we are lost somewhere else on the time continuum. The touch of an elder, the smell of a blossoming fruit tree, the way the wind feels against our cheek – open up to the present and it is all there for you.

Just ask the 2-year olds.

In this time where we more than ever need to be there for family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and our larger community, there is no more important place to start than to work on being more present.

When that phone call comes, frantic and worried voice on the other end, they need a “you” that is grounded in what is. Not what was. Not what might come to be. But grounded in what is at that moment.

A simple ask for today – let’s re-kindle that superpower of our children. Let us put aside the constant news feeds and cries about a world with no TP, all of it distractions from the gift that is the present. Let us be more mindful to gently steer the thought train back to the moment when it starts to take us elsewhere.
I imagine coming to my toddler for advice, and instead of blank stare, this is what I would hear:

“Dad, watch yourself breathing. Pay attention to the sensation of ‘being.’ Fall in love with the moment you are in, because you won’t have it back.
“Now, dad, can you dig in the dirt with me? Play, that’s my other superpower.”

Anthony Fleg
Albuquerque, N.M.

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