Looking out my window, the world looks unchanged. The sun rises. Birds soar across the sky. I hear the sound of trash collectors scooping up the recyclables, hitting the gas and chugging up the street. At first glance, it seems like an ordinary day, but nothing is the same.

I drive downtown to get an idea of my community’s reaction to shelter in place. My little town feels like the day after Christmas, empty and quiet. Closed restaurants bear signs of “We Do Take-Out” or “Look Us Up Online.” Our local coffee shop, once my refuge, a place to regroup and refuel, stands closed and silent. I feel very isolated and detached.

And I wonder how can I help during a global pandemic?

Could I be a 911 operator during the pandemic?

Could I be a 911 operator during the pandemic? Could I handle the stress of taking calls from parents, from daughters, from the elderly, experiencing emergencies? People call during their most difficult hours. Could I handle their cries for help? Could I dispatch the necessary emergency personnel quickly and calmly?

No. I am not equipped to handle such tremendous responsibility.

Could I be a paramedic during the pandemic?

Could I be a paramedic during the pandemic? Could I work 12-hour shifts and handle 911 calls for respiratory distress? Could I rush into a pandemic-stricken section of the poorest neighborhoods, quickly analyze the situation, assess a Covid-19 case and still protect myself?

No. I do not have the hundreds of hours of experience to be valuable in this situation.

Could I be a nurse practitioner during the pandemic?

Could I be a nurse practitioner on the front lines during the pandemic? Could I test potential Covid19 patients in a tent outside hospital facilities, without the necessary personal protective equipment, to minimize the risk of exposure to infected patients?

Again, no. I am not brave enough.

Could I be a doctor during the pandemic?

Freedigitalphotos.net by Flare

Could I be a doctor during the pandemic? Could I determine who gets a ventilator and who dies? Am I prepared to make a life or death decision?

Not in a million years.

Could I stay at home during the pandemic?

Could I stay at home during the pandemic? Could I help our nation flatten the curve by simply staying at home? Slow down the infection rate, in order to avoid overwhelming the health care system? Can I limit trips to the grocery story, avoid contact even with my loved ones, in order to reduce the spread of Covid-19?

But what more could I do?

Yes. But what more could I do?

I can share humor during the pandemic.

I can share humor during the pandemic. I can remind others that laughter is really the best medicine. It helps us get through the most difficult of times. It’s a distraction from the current horrors of the world. It helps us stop focusing on the bad and be reminded that this too shall pass. In our darkest hours, humor reminds us that it’s okay to laugh and even for a few moments, feels good, and that’s okay.

Can I do this? Yes.

Are You Still Kidding Me?

Want more? Are You Still Kidding Me? is available on Amazon in ebook and paperback. What are reviewers saying?

“I love Stacey Gustafson’s voice–her stories and how she shares them! She is entertaining, relevant and relatable, and her new book is for anyone who is a parent, child, spouse, or other.” – Wendy Liebman, stand-up comedian, semi-finalist on American’s Got Talent, Taller on TV 

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