Commentary: Commentary: Julio Vincent Gambuto’s recent essay titled “Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting” poses the thought that this shutdown could be our chance for a do-over. He asks us to “think about what kind of life we want when this is over.” What would we want normal to look like? He writes that we now have the opportunity to get rid of what doesn’t work and only bring back what does—“what makes our lives richer, what makes our kids happier, what makes us truly proud.”
As good people, people who care, it is our chance to help define what this country looks like in five, 10, 50 years. At first his advice seems aimed more toward our adult children and their children. But we seniors still have the wit and the will to reshape life after COVID-19 (if the virus hasn’t bumped us off).
We—all of us—have the power to decide how to spend time with our friends and families. We need to rethink what we watch, read, listen to, and yes, what we eat. Gambuto encourages us to spend our money on what we want and where we want. We can do that, he promises.
We can use the power of our resources to support our hometown businesses and to support organizations of our own choosing. We can use our power to elect leaders, both local and national, who will vote wisely and for good common values. If we want cleaner air, to protect our doctors and all Americans from the next pandemic — we can make it happen, Gambuto says. If we want people to earn a dignified income, and millions of kids to be able to eat if suddenly their school is closed, we can make that happen.
And, yes, if we just want to live a simpler life, we can make that happen, too.
Julio Vincent Gambuto, “Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting.” Medium, April 10, 2020.
https://forge.medium.com/prepare-for-the-ultimate-gaslighting-6a8ce3f0a0e0