A Black Hole—What’s On The Other Side?

Black Hole: A cosmic body of intense gravity from which nothing, not even light can escape. (britannica.com)

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more so that we may fear less.”

                    —Marie Curie (Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics-1903, and Chemistry-1911)

 "I know what I have to do now, I've got to keep breathing because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?"

—Tom Hanks character, Chuck Noland, from the movie, “Cast Away” (after being stranded on an island for 4 years.)

For the last few months the nation and the world have been engulfed in a “black hole.” Forced into isolation and fear by a relentless virus, we have been reeling in limbo with the pervasive question—                                                            What lies on the other side?

Unfortunately history has shown that at times it takes a crisis to learn painful lessons. As we begin to reopen society and commerce it’s time to figure out what went wrong, regroup, and move forward. We need to make the investment of resources and time to prepare and prevent rather than being forced to respond and improvise without a well-conceived strategy.

Virologists have told us that the arrival of new and recurring viruses is here to stay—the product of climate change, animal to human transmission, and population density/ migration.  

Will we be prepared for the next wave?

It’s going to take a concerted worldwide effort of coordination, cooperation, and equity in the areas of health, education, economics, and environmental policy.

We now know that we need factual, science-based information, up-to-date equipment properly stored in catastrophe-ready quantities, a well-devised master plan for implementation of testing/tracking/ isolation/treatment and vaccine development, contingency plans to provide compensation for workers who are incapacitated or laid off, resources for underserved populations, and mental health services for a society coping with anxiety driven by fear and uncertainty.

Jeff Key's work can be seen at: 
https://www.sculpturesite.com/Exhibit_Detail.cfm?ShowsID=155

Hubris—The Impetuous Sibling of Humility

Hubris (n)—Overbearing pride; arrogance.

“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of 

themselves and wiser people so full of doubts”    —Bertrand Russell

“No one knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it.”

                               —Donald Trump (nomination acceptance speech, 2016)                                          

"Because the “Ratings” of my News Conferences etc. are so high, “Bachelor Finale, Monday Night Football type numbers” the Lamestream Media is going CRAZY. "  (@realDonaldTrump tweet, March 29, 2020)

Spring winds have blown humility over the fence and hit our neighbors squarely in the face. Whether it’s a global health crisis, people who are fleeing repressive countries, or respect for those with opposing political views—humility, decorum, and common courtesy are values being abandoned.

Reliance on science and the advice of experts are taking a back seat to self-serving arrogance instead of what is substantiated fact and what best serves the needs of the world’s population.

Knowing no boundaries or class distinction, COVID-19 has been a great equalizer.  It has wrapped its insidious arms around world leaders, athletes, young, old, wealthy, disadvantaged, and front line healthcare workers.

The virus has stared down hubris and through its sheer destructive power has demanded humility. The self-righteous have had to consider that maybe they don’t have all the answers.                                                     

As Paul Anka wrote in his 1969 song, My Way— “Yes there were times… when I bit off more than I could chew, but through it all when there was doubt…….I stood tall and did it My Way.                    

   —(My Way, sung by Frank Sinatra) —First song played at Donald Trump’s Inaugural Ball, January 2017)

Jeff Key's work can be seen at:

"Vessel #27—Fusion, 25" x 25" x 25", Wood & Flax

Jeff Key's work from “The Vessel Series,” is featured in an 
Exclusive On-line Exhibition “Life Vessels” 

from January 31-April 30,2020 

on Sculpturesite Gallery’s website:  

https://www.sculpturesite.com/Exhibit_Detail.cfm?ShowsID=155

Apocalypse Rising—The Belly of the Beast

“When I was a kid, the disaster we worried about most was a nuclear war. But today, if anything kills over 10 million people in the next few decades, it’s most likely to be a highly infectious virus, rather than a war.”        — Bill Gates, 2015 TED Talk

“The searchers of the town / Suspecting that we both were in a house / Where the infectious pestilence did reign / Sealed up the doors and would not let us forth."  —William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 1593, (written at the end of the 1592-1593 plague that killed 15,000 in London)

As we sit sequestered in our homes we keep asking—

“How did this all start?”   When will it end?   What will the future bring?”

The answers are long and complex but in this “life hiatus” it’s a good time to consider how we navigate the future safety of the planet.

• The origin of pandemics dates back to the Justinian Plague of 541 that started in central Africa and spread throughout the Mediterranean and Europe. The primary remedy at that time was inhaling vapors from herbs. The result was nearly 100 million deaths over a four-year period.

• Our current pandemic, the COVID-19 virus that has now claimed over 11,000 lives worldwide is thought to have originated from bats in Wuhan, China. The virus jumped from bats-to-animals-to-humans and is now being spread by person-to-person contact.  

What can we do about it?  

• First and foremost—Elect officials who:

• Listen to science and experts in the medical field.

• Do not distort or suppress information and keep open all lines of domestic and international         communication.                                                                 

• Allocate—not cut funds—to prepare in advance for epidemics— (adequate testing, supply of specialized equipment, hospital beds/intensive care facilities/healthcare workers, and vaccine development.)                                                                                                                  

                       

 • Prioritize Solutions to Climate Change/Global Warming

• Microbes with a higher heat tolerance will thrive and bring new infectious diseases.

• Drought and deforestation expands the habitat of disease-carrying animals and insects.

• As the Arctic permafrost melts pathogens buried over time will be released into the atmosphere.

• So stay safe, don’t hug your neighbor and take action to help  
prevent these catastrophic events from occurring in the future.

Jeff Key's work is featured in an Exclusive On-line Exhibition: “Life Vessels” 

from January 31-March 31,2020  on Sculpturesite Gallery’s website:  

https://www.sculpturesite.com/Exhibit_Detail.cfm?ShowsID=155