Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads
Take Me Home, Country Roads, released as a single record by John Denver in 1971, captured yearnings for a return to a less complex “yesterday”. Writers Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, and John Denver evoked images and nostalgia for a familiar and comforting time and place. Wholeheartedly embraced by the State of West Virginia, the song resonates with a wide range of folks who have little or nothing to do with that state of the union, but find solace in its lyrics and mood.
In this time of difficult personal and economic strain due to COVID-19, the urge to return to a time and place of perceived normalcy is overwhelming. As restrictions of movement are reduced, a common response is to vacillate between fear of a resurgence and an equally compelling desire to move about freely to recapture pre-COVID-19 ambiance. As admonitions of harm if previous precautions are abandoned conflict with a desire to forget it, a fertile ground for conspiracies and recriminations can be sowed with resentment and blame. However, the current situation calls for a measured, calm and rational, sustained response that endures even when everyone would prefer to slam the door on this distressful episode and move on.
If impulsive reactions could actually accomplish a rapid and complete solution, no one would argue with them. However, this country road is convoluted and long, with a different destination than the one left behind. The home it will lead us to is a bit different than the one we knew. Exactly what shape it will take remains poorly defined at this time, but without much doubt, although it might resemble a familiar structure, it will definitely contain many differences. The new “home” will, over time, replace models of the past. Hopefully, a better future.
There is nothing new in this transition except the source and rapidity of these changes. Looking back over past decades, much has been transformed by enhanced communication, technology and education. Even without a pandemic, change is a constant in our lives. It is natural to hold on to memories of familiar and comfortable – even uncomfortable – events that mark significant placeholders of our lives. These milestones of our personal compass give us direction and meaning but point toward the future as well. Vigorous denial of the process creates more obstacles before reaching the altered home at the end of the road. Frustration and angst are the result.
“Drivin’ down the road, I get a feelin’
That I should’ve been home yesterday, yesterday
So many “ifs” are sandwiched between the what, why and when, but resolution of this pandemic and the ride on our country road will, nonetheless, take time and patience.