Uncertainty has become our reality

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(Portland) Commercial Review

It’s the uncertainty that’s unsettling.

But we might just have to get used to it, at least for a while.

We tend to be creatures of habit. We set alarms to wake up at the same time each day. We go through our morning routines. We go to work or school. We eat our meals at the same times.

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown all of that out of whack. And, even worse, we have no real answers about what is going to happen today, tomorrow or six months from now.

The situation is ever-changing.

Schools were closed in March on just a few days’ notice. Businesses considered to be non-essential were shut down.

We’ve made plans about how and when to come back, but nothing is set in stone.

Indiana was supposed to be fully “open” — or at least as close to it as possible with social distancing still encouraged — by July 4. But as the number of COVID-19 cases climbed elsewhere, and more recently in the Hoosier State, that move has twice been put on hold.

Other states, in the face of spiking case numbers, have reimposed restrictions they had previously lifted.

Now, we’re looking at changes to require masks at some major retail outlets.

We’re not quite sure what school will look like in the fall.

And each day there seems to be a new announcement about the status of sports.

It’s difficult to deal with a situation that has been constantly changing for the last four months and is likely to continue to do so for the rest of 2020 and possibly longer.

As we continue through this pandemic, try a couple of things:

Be flexible. Rules are different today than they were last month and they’ll probably be different next month or even tomorrow. Roll with it.

Be understanding. Some aren’t big fans of some of the rules that have been imposed. But most of the time, the individual you’re dealing with — the server in the restaurant, the cashier, the drive-thru worker — didn’t have anything to do with making those rules. Give them a break.

Unfortunately, no one has firm answers on how the rest of the coronavirus will play out or how long it will last. There’s simply no way to know.

It’s not easy. It’s not fun. But, for now, it is our reality.

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