Ever seen a bunch of five-year-olds, who have been bottling up anticipation in their little bodies, set free on their first Sports Day or into a bouncy castle at a birthday party after cake?
Often they burst forward, tripping on themselves in the excitement, and cries suddenly cut through the previously jubilant air.
By a parent’s second kid, an internal wincing starts whenever a physical event of great excitement is approaching.
New trampoline at the neighbours? ‘Great, that fun should last about five minutes before somebody is hurt,’ experienced parents think to themselves while trying to share little Olivia or Noah’s exuberance at the prospect.
Once we are older, we tend to be more measured in our approach to things, but the pandemic seems to have made even us adults revert back to childhood a bit.
Squamish Search and Rescue attended five calls between Thursday and Saturday.
And, of course, we could blame city folk and their flip-flop wearing ignorance set loose in our backcountry, but, alas, most of the rescued were locals, say Squamish Search and Rescue.
The Chief asked Dr. Bonnie Henry about the rescues and balancing risk at her COVID-19 briefing on Monday.
She said while people are justifiably able and excited to get out and do these activities, “Our message is to be careful, to make sure that you have someone with you who can assist you, to not take those extra risks, and to try and do things as safely as you possibly can.”
Of course, we all want to get back to the sports that brought us to the corridor in the first place.
But we need to do our part to protect ourselves and our search and rescue volunteers, paramedics, doctors, nurses, other first responders and each other. Don’t put the families of our healthcare workers, law enforcement and firefighters at risk to undue exposure to COVID-19. We are coming up to Father’s Day, some first responders are likely going to have to question whether they see their dads because of the work they do.
This is not to say don’t go out for a day of fun or don’t call SAR if in trouble — that is what they are there for. But think about their families when you go.
Have you taken every precaution? Or are you channeling your inner five-year-old?
Many in town were so quick to jump on Mayor Karen Elliott when she told Vancouver media that her community just isn’t ready for visitors yet.
But we seem to be struggling with the gentle part of a gentle restart.
Just a suggestion, but how about we slow it down just a notch (Gasp!) until there is a vaccine?
Not because we want to, but to protect those who are going to have to help some of us anyway, as we hurt ourselves in totally random and routine ways this summer.
Maybe hit up the gondola, the mine or go for a medium-level hike, bike or climb.
It won’t kill us, and it just might save somebody else.
