Americans, in a crisis, want something to do. Maybe this is something. A mission.
Senator Martha McSally told Judge Jeanine tonight that the next problem to solve in the coronavirus testing problem is the first mile. We have plenty of labs ready to accept specimens, but getting the specimens from the drive-thru test centers to a drop-off point, say a post office or Fedex drop.
Perhaps people could be enlisted to serve as couriers of these specimens. Think of it as an all-volunteer Uber for specimens.
When you think about it, people are going to have little to do for the next few weeks. (Months?) And Americans are at their best when duty calls. I can see, 20 years from now, people bragging about the number of specimens they delivered.
When the crisis passes, the people with the biggest regrets will be those whose primary interest throughout the crisis was themselves. Those who helped fight the virus, even in small ways, will remember the period as an achievement, of man, once again, conquering a deadly and disruptive enemy. As I wrote long ago, Viktor Frankl showed us that we alone control our ultimate destinies.
Maybe this idea won’t fly. Maybe the governments will be reluctant to ask people to pitch in. Maybe there already are enough drivers and vehicles to close that first mile in the patient-to-lab pipeline. In that case, let’s find another positive outlet for our pent-up energy and desire to serve.
No matter what, pray. Coronavirus, like everything else in human awareness, came from God. I’m not saying it came as a punishment, but it definitely came for a purpose. If you ask, He’ll answer.