Even at a time of social distancing, we can make sure ‘no one hikes alone’

The best thing that’s happened to me in retirement is being a member of a weekly hiking group. Up until the current social distancing requirements, we hiked every Tuesday. We’re all senior citizens. “No one hikes alone” is our most important rule. We take care of each other.

Let’s apply that simple rule to our current situation. We’re sailing in unfamiliar waters, practicing social distancing, most businesses closed, our daily activities greatly reduced. There’s a real danger that social distancing will lead some of our neighbors into social isolation. Our routines are disrupted; that leads to greater stress.

For many of us, work is an important form of social contact. Colleagues at our offices, customers at our businesses, the smiles and greetings we encounter each day, all are part of our daily lives. Now they are absent or greatly curtailed. Stress in our family lives may also spike. We are unsure of the near future, perhaps fearful of what each day’s news will bring.

What can we do about this? One simple action is human contact, as best we can. Do you have a friend who lives alone? Make that phone call, check in, catch up for a bit. Write a note or letter, something positive. E-mails, social media, all those easy actions also work. But something more personal than the usual electronic media will get noticed — and appreciated. No one hikes alone.

There’s an opportunity coming that we can leverage for our community’s benefit. Congress has passed a historic relief package to offset the effects of COVID-19 on our economy. Payments to individuals will offer a lifeline of support as we wait out the worst of this crisis. For those laid off from work, struggling to pay the rent or feed their families, these payments can make a crucial difference.

The federal funding provided is going to everyone under certain income limits. The law doesn’t distinguish on the basis of individual citizen need.

But not all of us have to rely on the emergency payments. We’re fortunate. Some are working from home, paychecks intact. Some have pensions, Social Security, or other income unaffected by all this. Here’s the crucial question: What are we going to do with the money?

Here’s the right move for all of us who can afford to do so: put this extra money — every dollar of it — right back into the South Sound community. Put it all to work to sustain this place we call home.

It’s tempting to make a list here, but I’d leave off something vital. What are the organizations that sustain our community? Come up with your own priorities. Think about where you want to help. Think also about the signal you send when you write the check or make an online donation. Your gift has value beyond a dollar amount. The bonus that it sends is hope.

You might choose to spread the funds across a wide range of organizations that you know are important. Or perhaps you want to make the biggest impact you can on one or a few places you see as most crucial right now. It’s up to you.

You may decide to help people who you know are short of cash. You can figure out who could really use a helping hand right now. You’ll make the best decisions you can about this; no one knows better than you how to make a difference.

Thank you for whatever you will do. We have some difficult weeks ahead. We will get through them by doing what we can — together. No one hikes alone.