Dear editor,
We hear so much about the harm COVID has caused. The news is depressing but how about looking at some positive aspects of the bigger picture?
1. More people are planting and planning gardens – good for the planet and the table. Some of the big mail-order seed houses are overwhelmed by the huge increase in orders. This can be good for local suppliers such as Art Knapp, which has an excellent selection.
2. More people are adopting pets. Let’s hope they still take care of them after the pandemic wanes.
3. More of us are feeding birds and putting out nesting boxes. I have far more birds than usual in my backyard. Keep them alive in winter and they’ll go after the bugs feeding on your vegetables in summer. Just have to be careful not to spread disease among the feeder visitors.
4. Fewer cars on the road means less pollution, fewer accidents, lower insurance. Good for the planet and the bank balance.
5. Less air travel equals less pollution.
6. More masks means less spread not only of COVID but of other viruses such as colds and flu.
7. More meals at home means less money and time spent on eating out, more cooking, more time to spend trying new recipes.
8. Less time spent getting to work equals more time to learn anything you want at home.
9. Sharp focus on the shameful conditions in many seniors’ care facilities has resulted in an outcry for reform.
10. Failure to get timely vaccine deliveries from other countries has produced a need for Canada to develop its own sources for these and many other things. We are a great nation, and have the intelligence and resources to stand on our own feet.
Leith Stewart, Comox
