“The challenge is, the end isn’t coming soon. But it’s coming, and what we need to do is try to have as few [COVID-19] cases as possible between now and the time a vaccine arrives.” CBC, Oct 24, 2020

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I started to write this post several days ago, well, at least in my mind. Yet, when I thought I had it together I would sit down at my laptop and the words didn’t seem as great as what was in my thoughts. So, scrub them and hit the trash.

Earlier this week the news started looking grim. I thought to myself, “here we go again”. The number of positive cases of covid-19 started ticking upwards across Canada, America, and around the world.

Once again like earlier this year shutdowns began to take place. In and around Saskatoon, Saskatchewan the Health Minister began ordering the shutdown of bars and clubs.

My mind then turned towards south of the Canadian border. People losing more jobs, rents/mortgages coming due, and no relief coming from big brother. I think about the children once again as schools have been forced to close once more. Schools for many children is the only source to a hot meal.

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In America alone the number of deaths are climbing towards five hundred thousands. I thought about the Spanish flu pandemic, about the number of dead reaching 50,000,000 (Source: CDC).

In just one decade later the world would experience the greatest depression lasting four years until 1933. It began in 1929 after the crash on Wall Street. People lost their jobs, their homes, businessmen committing suicide, and long lines outside soup kitchens.

Psychological Impact Of The Great Depression

Historian Harvey Green argues that domestic violence and child abuse increased during the Depression. Family disputes over finances, food, and other basic necessities caused tensions to increase. Men and boys often simply fled the home out of embarrassment, frustration, or the inability to cope with the new economic reality. Thousands of people, young and old, became traveling hobos, riding the rails in search of work or some form of relief.

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This is a great challenge for everyone’s mental health. If history is our teacher, this writer believes it is, the number will rise in police calls of heated arguments, abuse spousal and child. I know here in my own city there is already one soup kitchen. With the onset of winter there is a greater demand for homeless shelters. The Salvation Army will probably see an increase of requests for a Christmas hamper. In previous years churches would put together a Christmas dinner for all those who were alone. This year may see a challenge how they can serve the people in the city.

I normally do not write such a long post, but, these thoughts having been weighing on my mind.

So dear reader, it looks like “here we go again”!