Greetings Survivors!
As if you weren’t buckled down enough already, Isaias blew through town this week. Quite a storm! Downed trees, power outages, road closures!

It must have been confusing for some to have the impulse to stockpile toilet paper and then realize their closet was already fully loaded.

But, seriously, it feels like we have been at this at least a year, and we are only just starting our 6th month! We need something to keep us strong as we navigate the rest of this year and the first part of the next. My answer: Develop your skills and knowledge! & Use what you learn to be of service.
Lake Bacteria

Here’s a lesson I learned with this storm: bacteria levels in lakes (and the ocean) are higher after heavy rainfall due to the human waste and pollution in runoff.

Bacterial levels can climb to 5 times above the safe upper limits. It is recommended to stay out of the water for 2 to 3 days after a heavy rain! Skin issues or GI upset are the risk. It’s good to know where the dangers are. Maybe a paddle after the rain is better.

New illness, New treatments

The advice not to swim is surely more relevant as the development in an area increases. It’s one of many examples of the illnesses that come with urbanization. As civilization changes so do the illnesses- and so must the treatments.

My wish for humanity is to have the spirit to access treatments and methods that are not only relevant to the precise moment but are actually born for it.

Innovators and Dreamers, all hands on deck!

 Chaos and Pausing

I have to admit this storm took me by surprise. I actually missed the whole news story about its approach. I must be hyper-focussed on the Pandemic. Can you blame me? There is still so much to learn, and there are so many incredible life lessons embedded in this experience.

The Pandemic is stopping us in our tracks in many ways. Confusion and chaos abound.

Chaos opens up possibilities. It is uncomfortable, but it is a needed condition for restructuring, for learning. Letting go of an old system always has a transitional chaotic period.

The pauses bring about the opportunity the to re-set your direction. We act, then we stop and analyze to decide how to restart. We need the pauses to stay on track. Being forced to stop sometimes is helpful.

Brain power, Heart Power
You know this concept that we use only a small part of our potential mental and physical resources? That we use only 10% of our brain? Some people dismiss it, but I have always been intrigued by it.

By now you know that development is central to my worldview. As human beings our starting point is incomplete. It’s not just in our thinking alone that we have amazing expansive potential, it’s in every organ and every aspect of our lives.

Accessing brain power gets the air time, but what about the untapped potential of the human heart?

The chaos of the pandemic and the quiet of the forced simplification of our lives invites us:

• to wonder about the unknown
• to accept and love ourselves and each other unconditionally
• to trust that each of us matter and are not alone
• to have compassion for our friends and enemies alike

We know so many things on one hand but so very little in relation to the expanse of the universe. And we plug along with the piece that we know, without the assurance that we are on the right path. Only when we believe in the vast capacity of the human being can we begin to tap our potential.

I’ve come to understand that a Pandemic means we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. There is danger on both sides. You have to find a delicate balance. On one hand more social mixing leads to more exposure and more risk. On the other too aggressive restrictions affect the psychological and physical welfare of children and families. The bottom line is that the distance learning failed a lot of people.

No matter how you proceed it’s going to be difficult.

The good news is that kids less than 19year of age:

• don’t get COVID as often
• have milder symptoms and shorter duration when they do get it (although the presence of chronic illnesses raises the risk for more severe symptoms)
• seem to pass it on less.

These facts are the foundations to building a plan forward. As I study it, the path needs:

A)  to be individualized and flexible

• Weigh the dynamic of the outbreak in the region. You simply can’t proceed with a surge of cases.
• Consider the ventilation of the building. Better yet, consider the ability to be outside. Temporary outdoor meeting places are the ideal.
• Take into account the characteristics of the school’s population. Pay special attention to the at-risk members of the school
• Ask whether the teachers are on board? Do they feel supported? They are becoming front line workers here.

B)  to proceed slowly and with all safeguards in place; it should not be full time, at least at first, in my opinion. It’s too exhausting for everyone involved.

Remember that the potential risk of COVID-19 spread is highest when individuals are

• indoors,
• within 6 feet of each other, for more than 15 minutes,
• in a small space with limited ventilation, sharing equipment or food, and/or taking deep breaths (e.g. while singing, shouting or exercising).

Students and teachers will

• wear masks
• stay home with any symptoms
• be greater than 6 feet apart
• work in well ventilated areas with modified schedules and movement patterns- and if so, it can work.

These are good parameters for all of us to remember.

Best Wishes on your day and all you have on your plate. Keep up the good work.

Dr Cooney and staff