“Mortality among the doctors was the highest of all, since they came more frequently in contact with the sick. Nor was any other human art or science of any help at all.
Equally useless were prayers made in the temples, consultation with oracles
and so forth”. Thucydides said this in 430BC in Athens which was struck by a plague. The Athenians suspected the Spartans of poisoning their water but it turned out the plage which spread far and wide and was most deadly, had come to Athens via their port from faraway Ethiopia. Athens was a thriving port and it turned out that was also its greatest weakness. In spite of the plague the eternal Peloponnesian was continued … Hard not to draw parallels. Let’s hope history doesn’t completely repeat itself.
Sometimes it is really difficult not to feel overwhelmed and in despair when listening to the lies, irresponsible talk, actions taken purely for power or greed, by the person in the White House who is supposed to show himself a Leader in this time of need for a real leader. To not become so angry that one literally bursts, to not completely give in and just cry for all the dead, all the sorrows, all the devastation of lives. Trump did not cause the pandemic but he most certainly excarcebated it, and through this caused many many people to loose their lives. Even more though, my mind cannot comprehend how people around him, how senators and congressmen do not simply stop him? Why do they not take action? Is their personal power and money so much more important to them than the lives of strangers? Do most people weigh the life of a human being in terms of money or power?
It takes effort to not let the selfishness and greed of people keep me down, at times. There are wonderful, and generous, people in the world also; where you least expect to find goodness in human beings, is often where that goodness is exhibited. We only need to listen, and we will find the people who give unselfishly of themselves, who put themselves at risk for life and limb, and who share of themselves unstintingly. Just look at all the health care workers, first responders, the ones who each day help the rest of us to live comfortably and safely now! I believe in the goodness of people, I believe that good will triumph, I have hope for a future for my grand children. In the end, all I can do is believe and put one foot in front of the other, and start walking again.