By Amelia Hamilton
Welcome to Are We Doomed? The weekly column in which I will take the latest news and try to determine if it’s all downhill from here.
God Bless Texas
People have been working hard under difficult circumstances at H-E-B (a wonderful regional grocery store in Texas). They’ve been exposed to goodness-knows-what and working wild hours trying to keep shelves stocked in the stores and freezers stocked in homes. In New Braunfels, Texas, employees at Whataburger (which really needs to be a third option in that whole In N Out vs 5 Guys argument) decided to help out and brought them food. Don’t you love people helping people?
Verdict: People are helping each other through difficult times. We’re not doomed at all.
Loving the animals
Shelter animals are having a rough time with the pandemic. While they can’t get sick, they also can’t get adopted. At least, not in the traditional way. Some shelters are finding innovative ways around it, though, and pets are finding their forever homes.
Verdict: Anybody who takes in an animal who needs a home is doom immune.
Tim is a National Treasure
Like just about everything, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is closed for the time being. However, they still need security, so Tim Send, their head of security is still going to work. While he’s there, and things are pretty darn slow, the museum figured he might as well do some social media for him as well. The result is the most wholesome social media you’ve ever seen. For example:
Verdict: Twitter has embraced Tim and is treating him with the love and respect he deserves. This world is going to be OK.
I did tell you not to lick that
You’ll be shocked to hear that one of the Covidiots who licked a toilet for the Coronavirus Challenge has Coronavirus.
Dr. Phil talked to another toilet-licker.
Verdict: If this stops people from being idiots, we’re going to be ok. I suspect people are still going to be attention-hungry, though, and that’s a problem.
Finding Ways to Connect
A pandemic can’t stop love. This photographer saw a girl dancing on the rooftop across the street, sent her a drone with a note, and quarantined love bloomed.
Verdict: Everyone loves a love story. Seeing how people find ways to connect even during difficult circumstances tells me we’re not doomed.
Not See’s!
For the first time since World War II, See’s Candies is suspending production.
Verdict: It’s hard to see small businesses close, and it’s hard to see iconic businesses take a break. A lot of things are hard right now, but I’m still optimistic that there is light at the end of the doom tunnel.
Everybody do the dinosaur
Another way to build community is to dress up like dinosaurs and have a socially-distanced parade. You can watch it here.
Verdict: I love the community building going on. Every time people come together, doom gets a little further away.
Little Miracles
Some of you may remember little Walter, my friend’s miracle baby. He almost didn’t make it, but now he’s thriving.
Verdict: We need to celebrate the little things, but I’m ready to get all kinds of excited about this very big thing. The way people came together for Walter tells me this world is not doomed.
Building Community
In New York City, many (like the elderly or those with special needs) who are quarantined are having a hard time getting meals. United Sikhs, a Sikh American group, is providing 30,000 meals for those who need some help.
Verdict: The best way for people to get what they need is for somebody to step up and provide it directly. Groups like this and so many others are doing that work in their community, proving that doom is nowhere to be found.
Don’t Ride That
New York City, you may have heard, has coronavirus pretty bad. So this crazy person decided to strip down to her flesh-tone underpants and sit on an outdoor statue.
Verdict: People this desperate for attention, and the people who give it to her, will forever be doomed.
You go, Coco!
Meet Coco, whose neighborhood threw her an end-of-chemo parade.
Verdict: While we’re all socially distanced we are, in some ways, closer to our communities than ever – and there is no doom in that.
The barter system
Chrissy Teigen had an important need, and thought one of her 12.5 million followers might be able to help.
It turned into the best story.
The exchange was socially distanced using Teigen and Legend’s daughter’s toy car.
You can read the whole exchange here.
Verdict: I love this stuff. Plus, as a bonus, a lesson in bartering! Will Coronavirus send us back to the purest economy? If this keeps up, we’re not doomed.
The Only Acceptable Tik Tok Dance
I speak for everyone in the world when I say I’m tired of watching Tik Tok dances. This one is acceptable, though, because it makes me laugh.
Verdict: Everybody needs to lighten up in general, to ensure that we aren’t doomed.
Being Thankful
Remember to be thankful to the often overlooked, like the garbage collectors. In France, these people left kind notes on top of the bins thanking them for being “everyday heroes.”
Verdict: Thinking of those who are helping, then taking the time to thank them, is important. Very little doom detected.
In the Final Analysis
We’re living weird lives in the middle of a pandemic and, in a lot of ways, it’s bringing us further from doom that we have been in quite some time. It’s making everyone slow down, find simple pleasures, and build community. The economy will come back and, hopefully, the community will stay and, with it, a future that isn’t doomed.