Thumbs Up

April 29, 2020

On Monday afternoon, while visiting my mom, I managed to slam my car door onto my thumb. It hurt badly and looked even worse. But when the initial shock had subsided, what I mostly felt was embarrassment. In the midst of a societal slowdown, I could have avoided an injury if I’d only been in less of a hurry.

It was a timely reminder that accidents happen even to people in good health. In the days since, I’ve just been thankful that my injury was a minor one. I didn’t need to see a doctor and risk exposure to the Dreaded Virus. I also have a new appreciation for everything our primate thumbs help us with in daily life. All told, the ordeal was an excuse to relax a little more in a time when relaxing is the order of the day.

Our mandated social isolation has gone on for six weeks — or is it seven? I’m not sure how to interpret that fact, as it seems likely that there are many weeks yet to come. I could look at my calendar and note the events I had scheduled for this week. All of them are un-Zoomable, and were therefore cancelled.

I’m not the only one operating blindly. Most of us want to know more about this pandemic , but we don’t. We don’t even know when we’ll know. Meantime, I’ll stick with what I do know a thing or two about: my mom, who helped nurse my sore thumb (I now understand where that famous expression comes from); my friends, who send good wishes from afar; books that fill the time and inspire me; and coffee, of course. With all this to my name, I should be able to tackle anything when I return to work. Whenever that is. 👍