The world is a different place. It’s hard to believe that just over three weeks ago we were wondering who had the best Tik Tok dance moves and who the next stupid president of the United States was going to be. In my mind, this is a real wake up call that we’re all in this together. The world is a different place. Now with the first positive case of the virus in Uinta County, it’s real.

The idea that this virus would not affect us or arrive here in our town is not realistic, something I’ve said for a month now. A truck driver could load up in San Francisco and be here in one day on I-80, stuck in the grocery store with the roads closed and touch everything and spread it. A person from Summit County, Utah, our neighbors, could drive up for toilet paper, liquor and whatever else and spread it just as easily. That’s the thing about a pandemic, it has the potential to touch everyone on the planet.

Speaking of truck drivers, my hat’s off to them for their hard work and dedication. On a trip to Laramie three weeks ago when all of this was blowing up, practically the only people on the road were truck drivers. Without them, how would we get food on our shelves, medicines to pharmacies and the basic and essential commerce of the country moved around. They are on the front lines, no doubt about it.

I’m sure I’m like many of you, wake up in the morning and get going, before realizing after just a few minutes that the country has a cloud hanging over it — the whole world does for that matter.

The virus, from what I understand, will not compare to the ones that have devastated humanity throughout the ages. The plagues, the Spanish flu, even the common flu takes many more lives than this COVID-19 coronavirus has so far — thanks to modern medicine, education, awareness and our favorite term, social distancing. Gone are the norms of greeting one another. Hugs, out of the question. Handshakes, taboo. Sneeze in public and people scram from the area, a real issue for me since I suffer greatly from allergies and hay fever.

Businesses have been devastated, layoffs and unemployment at an all-time high, all in a matter of weeks. All from something that really none of us saw coming. Hollywood has thrilled us over the years with fears of a spaceship parking over our cities, unloading human-like aliens that come down and plunder the earth. Little did we know that the aliens are already here. It’s absurd to think that maybe a handwashing or covering a sneeze may have prevented this all.

Although it is just getting real for us in Uinta County, it’s been real for many places and people throughout the country and world for some time. Other countries are devastated. Economies are cratering and people and businesses are truly hurting. Once well established businesses in our town are being rocked to their foundations, including ours. The local newspaper is supported by local advertising. Times are tough, and I know its not great consolation, but we’re all in this together. The whole country is in the same boat.

Who’d have thought that the commodities were no longer things like gold and silver, but toilet paper and bottled water … mind boggling. Walk over to the tap and turn it on, water comes out. It’s not like toilet paper was never going to be made again, it was really just a distribution issue. And the idea that people would get on social media, exclaim that the toilet paper truck had arrived at the grocery store and then hoards of people would rush into buy as much as they could as fast as they could was appalling.

What a travesty for the little old couple that shops once a week and went in to find essentials only to see bare shelves for many items. I saw them shopping in despair. We’re better than that, at least we should be.

I’m hoping and praying, (yes, as a good Catholic, I’m praying) that this ends soon.  From all accounts, most people who get this will recover just fine. But for those who are sick and dying, there’s little we can do but watch from the sidelines. God bless the all the health workers, caretakers and people on the front lines of this pandemic. That’s all the more reason for us to do what we can — try to stay at home, practice social distancing, don’t gather in groups, wash your hands often, don’t touch your face, don’t show up at the doctor’s office or hospital with a runny nose wanting to get a test. The symptoms of this virus are well publicized by Public Health, the hospital and the CDC.

It is unfathomable to me that the entire world is almost instantly on a different course. It’s not from a mega volcano at Yellowstone, a huge earthquake (although I did feel the one in Salt Lake), an asteroid, global warming or climate change, or gamma rays. It’s from “bugs.” What do we all say when we’re sick? “Oh I have a bug.” Well the entire planet has a bug.

When this is all over, and at some point it will be, let’s figure out what is truly important and start acting on it. Things like kindness, generosity, compassion, accepting, caring, volunteering, loving and forgiving are what matters. Not how many Facebook followers you have or how much toilet paper you have stored in your garage.