The headline comes from Don McLean’s iconic tune, “American Pie,” chronicling the tortuous American decade of the '60s.
The actual line refers to the murder of President John F. Kennedy, the first of several shocking events that horrified our country. I remember my hands trembling and that awful feeling in my gut when I delivered the first reports on a radio station in St. Louis.
There would be other moments: The resignation of Richard Nixon, the space shuttle tragedies, the perplexing and tragic MOVE confrontation in Philadelphia the day after Mother’s Day in 1985, and of course, the attacks on 9/11.
In the news business, we refer to them as “shared experiences.” These are moments in our lives when we are all spellbound and almost frozen in time.
The current health threat is the ultimate shared experience.
We are all “in it.”
This period of time will test our patience, our resilience, and the courage and wisdom of the people who lead us. There’s a lot of politics going on in the world of government. There will be a time to assess shortcomings, but this is not the time to play the blame game.
We have enough anxiety. In the Philadelphia region, we are blessed to have governors, mayors and county officials who have shaped some clarity to our new everyday lives.
In one instance, Chester County is helping Delaware County, which does not have a health department. In Montgomery County, the chair of the commissioners Dr. Valerie Arkoosh has given briefings that have been clear on the facts and warm to the heart.
On the federal level, we can all appreciate the candor and cautions of our new American hero in a crisis, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Finally, along with the severe health threat comes a daunting figure. The American Payroll Association reported in January that 74% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.
Keep this in mind in the days ahead, and call your family members and friends. Those calls will provide comfort, love and some hope.
And right now, hope is a valuable commodity in our country.