Update

As the old Kenny Rogers song goes, “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, know when to run.”

These words quite accurately characterize the scenario that ultimately led me and Ginger to rescheduled our European ’Tracing the Steps 2020 Tour’, due to the coronavirus and its potential implications.

While I do appreciate and respect that some people are still pushing forward with their travel plans, I’ve made the choice to weather the storm and stay safe.

Acknowledgement

The coronavirus (COVID-19), was first reported in China and, well, you know the rest of the story.

People are quarantined, travel is restricted, some cruises have waited off the coast with confirmed cases, the virus has spread, deaths are sadly in the thousands, states of emergency are being enacted, countries are being locked down, big events are being cancelled, unanswerable questions are being posed, tension continues to grow and anxiety levels are rising by the day.

We are now two months into this predicament and there are as many interrogative sentences as there are declarative ones!

I, like most others, have become concerned and proactive. We currently have become professional hand washers and hand sanitizers. We looked warily at people sneezing or coughing. We avoided big crowds. We open doors with our sleeves and pushed buttons with our knuckles. Some people, not Brian, are purchasing face masks and stocking up on basic foodstuff. You know, just in case. Everyone seems to be following the news and advisories – but with all that said, it still wasn’t enough to make the call on this year’s tour.

As the outbreak went on to spread from its center of origin throughout our global community, I realized about a month ago that our tour was in jeopardy.

The days came and went and I put our 2020 tour into a mental holding pattern. I didn’t want to either overreact or dismiss the obvious – so, Ginger and I waited.

I very much hope/hoped – for everyone’s sake – that the spread of the virus would somehow abate, that the crisis and its accompanying fear would lessen and that calm would follow the storm.

However, over the weekend, the equation continued to tilt toward scrubbing our own personal mission.

Bottom Line

We are both sad and relieved with our decision to postpone our European ’Tracing the Steps 2020 Tour’. I’m very sad that the situation exists, but relieved that I may have abated our exposure and vulnerability by hunkering down for a bit. I am not postponing out of knee-jerk panic, but rather with an abundance of caution and an ounce or two or three of prevention. Given all factors, for myself, it was the right call.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay tuned.

By Brian Nadon

www.VaticFoundation.com

Thought:

Perhaps this could be the moment to try a plant-based meal plan and avoid meat altogether.