We must be in this fight together

We’re all in this together.

We must remember that simple fact.

All of us — in Jay County, Indiana, the United States — are in this together.

To make it through a difficult time — no one likes the limitations we are currently living with — we have to work together. We have to be pulling in the same direction. We have to be a cohesive team.

Our attitudes must be:

Cautious but calm.

Prepared but not paralyzed.

Ready to stand strong against the worst while hoping for the best.

Kind. Patient. Understanding.

And we have to take the time to really pay attention to what our stay-at-home orders means.

It’s really fairly simple: Stay at home as much as possible and limit contact with those outside your household.

But that doesn’t mean we are prisoners in our own homes.

Those whose jobs have been deemed essential can, and should, go to work. (Those jobs were deemed essential for a reason.)

You can still go to the store to buy groceries.

You can, and should, still get food via carryout or delivery. (Our local businesses need us.)

You can still go to the pharmacy to pick up medication.

It’s just recommended to try to limit these trips, or make them all at once rather than going out multiple times.

You can still go for a drive just for the sake of going for a drive. Yes, the governor’s guidance says you “should only travel if it is for your health or essential work.” A leisurely drive to maintain your mental health qualifies. We’re all going to need that from time to time. (And you’re not going to infect anyone, or get infected, while riding in your vehicle.)

You can, and should, go outside and enjoy beautiful, sunny days. Go for a walk. Go for a bike ride. Enjoy our parks. Just keep the recommended social distance while you do so. (Playgrounds are currently closed to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, but the rest of the parks are free to roam.)

Maybe we can even have neighborhood parties that consist of everyone sitting in their own backyard, music playing, grills smoking, apart but still together.

Stay-at-home orders are about limiting contact to prevent the spread of disease, not forcing everyone to be confined within the walls of their house or apartment.

Let’s remember that as we move forward.

And, remember too, that it is much more productive to encourage rather than scold, to advise rather than admonish, to teach rather than threaten.

We are in this together, Patriots, Hoosiers, Americans.

Team on three … — R.C.