The dogs are loving this whole home sequester thing. Two black Labs and a golden retriever, ranging in age from 9 to 12, have become accustomed to the good life. Sleeping in bed with us, licking plates, occupying laps… So, as you can imagine, a household of enablers available 24/7 has transformed our place into the promised land of pups. Sham-Bark-La, if you will. Of course, our house was canine Camelot anyway but generally, court was in session only on weekends and after 3:30 on weekdays.
Point is, we’re adjusting. Our pups are “adjusting” by lapping up even more attention. For those of us bound by two legs, the terms coronavirus, COVID-19 and pandemic are etched into the collective cultural lore. And although bathing as an afterthought, the all-but-exclusive wearing of PJs or sweats (underwear optional) and of course, the ideal commute (bedroom to bathroom to dining room table-turned-home office — 73 steps) make a strong case for working from home, we know there are folks out there having to make real, hardcore adjustments.
Our thoughts and prayers are with those frontline workers and everyone who’s been directly impacted by the virus or even lost loved ones. It’s easy to accept that God has a plan when you’re not potentially exposed to the virus every day at work, when you’re not laid waste by sleepless nights spent wondering if your livelihood will be counted among the casualties, when your loved ones are happy and healthy and unaffected.
It may stink that we can’t eat out at [insert favorite restaurant here], and my brain has yet to fully process the fact that Dave Van Horn won’t be leading another run on Omaha this spring, not to mention the nightmare that’s shaping up regarding football. (A fall without a Hog call? Say it ain’t gonna be so. Think we’re missing sports now? Just wait ‘til August.) But compared with those who’ve lost loved ones or may lose a business, such concerns are trivial.
Inside this April issue, AMP pivots to chronicle some of the coronavirus impact on Arkansas. We talk to health-data guru Dr. Joe Thompson, medical-school chancellor Cam Patterson, economist-extraordinaire Michael Pakko and others to learn how the shutdown is affecting health care and the economy as a whole.
While I’m sure there’s an applicable Winston Churchill quote that would fit nicely here, I’ll instead just paraphrase David Bevans of Little Rock’s Legacy Wine & Spirits, featured inside:
Bottoms up, and carry on.
Questions? Concerns? I’m always open at MCarter@ARMoneyandPolitics.com.
— Mark Carter
