Equestrians, toilet paper & COVID-19
I made a big mistake yesterday and started reading some of the articles about the Coronavirus outbreaks. I'm torn between not worrying about it at all and thinking there is reason to be concerned. Of course, when I opened facebook this morning, the only thing that popped up on my newsfeed were articles on the outbreak. I have zero medical training, but I do know that there are things far more deadly than the Coronavirus.
Allow me to go off on a completely different tangent before attempting to rein it all in together. I'm down at the Desert Horse Park for the circuit and of all the weird things, we've been rained out to start week VIII. I've been down in the desert when this has happened before, but to the best of my knowledge it has never happened during the last week of the circuit. And yet here we are, in this strange apocalyptic time, twiddling our thumbs hoping the rings dry out enough to compete. It seems super strange and yet, it has been the most peaceful two days I've ever had at a horse show. For the first time, I've witnessed something quite unique. Everyone seems to be getting along. There are people wandering around on their phones, others lunging in the parking lots, people hacking all over the property around mud puddles visiting and a whole herd of horses being flatted on the grass field, as it is the only option available.
Amidst the fear-driven pandemonium that is currently running completely rampant all over the world, we have a large group of individuals with the most nonchalant demeanour I've ever seen. No one is fighting over warm up jumps, the loud speakers are silent instead of announcing that we’d better hurry up because every ring is running late. There aren't any agendas, people aren't running around trying fifty horses a day. Not one soul was in a hurry out there and it was glorious. I swear the horses were the happiest I've ever seen them.
I don't know what it is about horse people, but they seem impervious to what is going on outside of the bubble we've created around the industry. The market crashed on Monday, the world has gone crazy and purchased every roll of toilet paper ever made (or so it seems). Yet here we are, hanging around waiting for the show to go on.
I don't know much about COVID-19 but I do know one thing. The fear of the "thing" is often much worse than the "thing" itself. Terrorism isn't just 911 with buildings being targeted and people dying. Terrorism, at its root, is an intense, sharp or overmastering fear, ie. terror. We live in the age of terrorism. Yes, there are terrorists in this world that have done the most heinous acts one can imagine. But we have begun to live in an age of terror. Worse yet, I believe we've done it to ourselves. This social media instant info society of misinformation we allow ourselves to take part in has created an unbelievable mob mentality. It's utterly ridiculous, and yet we are on the verge of an apocalyptic type setting with everyone losing their minds and there's no toilet paper left.
I have several friends who work various roles in health care and they are not concerned. They are more concerned about what happens when hospitals get swamped with people far less sick that will start using up valuable resources. My one friend is an OR nurse who already had a trip booked to Peru. Unless they cancel her flights she's still planning on going. To quote her, "We can't stop living our lives. It's a virus. If I die, I die lol. Im ready to meet Jesus. Not going to live in fear."
I echo her sentiments exactly. I'm getting married in 45 days and I refuse to let this put a damper on the party we plan on having. I will not live my life in fear over something that is currently less deadly than influenza. I hope I can encourage you all to do the same.
There are times I think horse people can be completely ignorant to the troubles going on around us, but for today, I think the world could use a serious dose of that. So go home, wash your hands and for goodness sake PLEASE stop buying every single roll of toilet paper.
Those of us not panicking would still like to use the bathroom too.
Allow me to go off on a completely different tangent before attempting to rein it all in together. I'm down at the Desert Horse Park for the circuit and of all the weird things, we've been rained out to start week VIII. I've been down in the desert when this has happened before, but to the best of my knowledge it has never happened during the last week of the circuit. And yet here we are, in this strange apocalyptic time, twiddling our thumbs hoping the rings dry out enough to compete. It seems super strange and yet, it has been the most peaceful two days I've ever had at a horse show. For the first time, I've witnessed something quite unique. Everyone seems to be getting along. There are people wandering around on their phones, others lunging in the parking lots, people hacking all over the property around mud puddles visiting and a whole herd of horses being flatted on the grass field, as it is the only option available.
Amidst the fear-driven pandemonium that is currently running completely rampant all over the world, we have a large group of individuals with the most nonchalant demeanour I've ever seen. No one is fighting over warm up jumps, the loud speakers are silent instead of announcing that we’d better hurry up because every ring is running late. There aren't any agendas, people aren't running around trying fifty horses a day. Not one soul was in a hurry out there and it was glorious. I swear the horses were the happiest I've ever seen them.
I don't know what it is about horse people, but they seem impervious to what is going on outside of the bubble we've created around the industry. The market crashed on Monday, the world has gone crazy and purchased every roll of toilet paper ever made (or so it seems). Yet here we are, hanging around waiting for the show to go on.
I don't know much about COVID-19 but I do know one thing. The fear of the "thing" is often much worse than the "thing" itself. Terrorism isn't just 911 with buildings being targeted and people dying. Terrorism, at its root, is an intense, sharp or overmastering fear, ie. terror. We live in the age of terrorism. Yes, there are terrorists in this world that have done the most heinous acts one can imagine. But we have begun to live in an age of terror. Worse yet, I believe we've done it to ourselves. This social media instant info society of misinformation we allow ourselves to take part in has created an unbelievable mob mentality. It's utterly ridiculous, and yet we are on the verge of an apocalyptic type setting with everyone losing their minds and there's no toilet paper left.
I have several friends who work various roles in health care and they are not concerned. They are more concerned about what happens when hospitals get swamped with people far less sick that will start using up valuable resources. My one friend is an OR nurse who already had a trip booked to Peru. Unless they cancel her flights she's still planning on going. To quote her, "We can't stop living our lives. It's a virus. If I die, I die lol. Im ready to meet Jesus. Not going to live in fear."
I echo her sentiments exactly. I'm getting married in 45 days and I refuse to let this put a damper on the party we plan on having. I will not live my life in fear over something that is currently less deadly than influenza. I hope I can encourage you all to do the same.
There are times I think horse people can be completely ignorant to the troubles going on around us, but for today, I think the world could use a serious dose of that. So go home, wash your hands and for goodness sake PLEASE stop buying every single roll of toilet paper.
Those of us not panicking would still like to use the bathroom too.
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