THREE WORDS THAT STRIKE GRAVE FEAR IN THE HEART: "NEW YORK CITY"

Three words that strike grave fear in the heart: "New York City".

As the President of the United States threatens, and then retreats, from the most absolute form of self isolation (NIOBY- NOT IN OUR BACKYARDS) for anyone who has the great and terrible misfortune to reside in the eye of the storm, so this discussion is repeating itself a thousand times over throughout this nation. 

A thousand NYCs proliferating, if not today then surely tomorrow, throughout the country as the disease settles in and attacks with particular ferocity wherever it chooses.

The "Welcome" sign has been removed and in its place is an image of a skull and crossbones, with a warning, "Do not enter, at the risk of death, OURS".

Is this an act of reasoned self preservation, the belief that should you appear you will not adhere to the rules of self quarantine, you will infect our hamlet, our hospitals will be overrun and we will have lost any hope of survival? 

Or merely an act demonstrating the worst in us, not allowing a fellow human to seek shelter from the storm, informing others that their lives have less value, their actions will undoubtedly be impure, their mere presence in our zip code a pox?

It is a war raging in our local papers and over the Internet. I am residing slightly more than 100 miles from NYC and in this town the battle is being waged with great ferocity. One of our local officials has suggested, in no uncertain terms, that second homeowners whose principal residence is in NYC should definitely, absolutely and in every single instance stay away. Their own homes off limits to them. And for anyone contemplating allowing their house or apartment to serve as an air B&B refuge, think again.

As the numbers mount with frightening speed in NYC, as we learn of refrigerated trucks lining up as make shift morgues, as we are informed that medical supplies may be gone within a week without an influx of help, I can not imagine the level of concern of those who remain in the city. I have friends and relatives there. How would I react if I were one of them, not so politely being informed to stay the F in place?

We are all living in a war zone these days. And if we are not on the front lines today, we may be in the days to follow, whether or not anyone from the NYC's throughout this land appear. And should that happen, and we find ourselves in a hot pocket how would we respond if we were the ones for whom the skull and crossbones was intended?

This is the poster child of an existential crisis. And it poses some very difficult questions about the very essence of our being.

I welcome your response. Your answers will not be graded. Not by me anyway.

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