Personal responsibility

As I was listening to the Sunday news programs, it was all about accelerating treatments and vaccines before our American need for instant gratification totally upends our health care system during this pandemic. We are weary of social distancing and mask-wearing even though our best research results tell us that mask-wearing indoors by all is the best way to slow the spread of this virus and keep our economy open.

My cousins in Europe tell me they are more patient and constrained there. Europeans have a long memory of the many waves of plagues they have had to endure on the continent over the centuries. They maturely accept their vulnerability and respect the forces of nature greater than them. They have been humbled in a way we haven't been - yet. After all, we are a very adolescent society from an emotional developmental point of view.

They say the difference between a child and an adult is that the child in us will do what we know we shouldn't and not do things even though we know we should - unless a parental authority holds us accountable. The adult holds himself accountable. So far, Illinois has been doing fairly well in this regard. We pray that we listen to our authorities and continue to accept personal responsibility to wear masks indoors and protect one another.

Alan Heigert

Lake Villa