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Elder Advice –Thinking Inside the Box – Week 1
One of the benefits of being somewhat older is that others look to you for wisdom in times of crisis... and even if they don't, they should. And so, it falls on me to offer the benefit of a lifetime of knowledge and experience in this unprecedented time.
One of the results of enforced isolation with family is the increasing urge to bury your spouse and children in the backyard. After all, in the current circumstance, no one expects to see them regularly. And there is always hope that, by the time things return to normal, the neighbours will have forgotten about them. My advice however, is that you should resist the urge. Not because it isn't entirely necessary; it is simply too early. Jurors will likely be more forgiving if you wait a few weeks.
And while we are on the topic of "things that it is too early to do", it is also not time to take inspiration from your copy of Jonathan Swift's: "A Modest Proposal For Preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and For making Them Beneficial to the Publick". Swift's solution to an outbreak in 1729 certainly makes sense, and we all know that children are great ... and also great tasting ... but again, it needs more time to gather public support.
So, be patient and bide your time. Try to think of cheery things: that COV-ID 19 will ultimately spell the end of Trump, and how the current provincial state of emergency means you can avoid the stench of collective guilt, regret and stale gin that comes from Easter dinner with the family.
Those who know me will understand that there is no hope that this will be the only time I will be providing sage advice on pandemic pandemonium. So stay tuned and, in the interim, let me assure you that your sympathy for Lisa's plight is much appreciated.