Sunnier side of pandemic

There is some good news among the grief stories from the worldwide pandemic.

The economic impact on many businesses is great justification for supporting your favorite stores and restaurants by getting out and doing some of the things you like best.

Many places were closed for several months and some will be unable to reopen ever. State and federal programs are available to provide loans and grants where possible to keep business doors open. And those customers who can are encouraged to get back out there and do some of your favorite things at the stores and restaurants that still survive.

Earlier this year I mentioned in a column that when driving through the downtown and midtown areas of Anchorage last spring I was amazed at the number of buildings with “For Sale” and “For Rent” signs on them.

Since then the economic impact from the pandemic has gotten worse. Those who got the short end of the stick in this mess could use some help from those who did not. Many retired people, those whose incomes weren’t sunk in the storm, can afford to return to their favorite spots, order their favorite meals and tip their favorite wait-staffers. And by indulging in that way they can help those businesses and the people who work for them to make it through this bad business patch.

Fortunately those in decision-making positions have changed the rules to allow barbers and hair-stylists to reopen, for bars and restaurants to serve customers both in widely-spaced interior tables and even on sidewalks outside.

In that regard the world is somewhat upside down, but the changes involved are both necessary and welcome. It is important therefore, that we make the changes effective by wearing masks and following spacing guidelines.

This is a different world than the one we started the year with, but the emergency has somehow brought out the best in many people. And that is good news indeed. Sometimes a tough situation brings out the worst in people but that doesn’t seem to be the case with Alaskans right now. We are seeing bad behavior in much of the country with racial tensions and public displays of racial animosity. So far such nastiness has been relatively rare in these parts.

One of my favorite things to come out of this debacle was a Facebook posting by someone whose name I missed. The message was “Alaska — social distancing since 1959.”

That message is now available with appropriate artwork on T-shirts and hoodies.

The demands of the pandemic also have me singing the Alaska Flag Song a dozen times a day or so. I started doing it in March when U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski demonstrated in a Twitter posting the best way to wash your hands, which you are supposed to do frequently. The recommended way is to soap up and scrub your hands for twenty seconds, about the time it takes to sing the birthday song. But the senator decided to use the Flag Song instead — and I can’t get it out of my head.

So the pandemic is bringing a lot of painful stuff — like the big hunker-down — but there is good news with the bad.

Soap up and sing along with me: “Eight stars of gold in a field of blue...”

Tom Brennan is an Anchorage columnist and author of five books. He was a reporter/columnist for The Anchorage Times and an editor and columnist at The Voice of The Times.