The phrase The Great Pause has recently been slipping into the human lexicon as the world grinds to a halt due to the corona virus pandemic.
Nations, cities, and neighbourhoods have become eerily quiet as we practice social distancing to limit the spread of this virus.
The Great Pause, for the most part, means that while governments focus on meeting basic needs and promoting essential activities, most of us can pause, take a breath, and consider what is truly important to our lives.
Not surprisingly, our families, our communities, and our shared humanity are suddenly at the forefront of our thoughts.
Everywhere, people are looking for ways to stay connected to one another, using all manner of opportunities, such as writing notes of encouragement on our windows, speaking kindly to one other online and from a distance, and using social media and video apps.
And, perhaps to our surprise, we have also learned that many of the people we have taken for granted, who work in services that often go unseen and unsung, are suddenly the people we depend most upon.
Farmers, truckers, grocery store employees, pharmacists, garbage and recycling workers, custodians, gas station attendants, all levels of health care, and many more essential workers have become our heroes.
As we all seek to stay connected, we are increasingly turning to libraries, museums, zoos, and a multitude of other public institutions to provide us with access to a world we can now only stand from afar and observe.
Airdrie Public Library has moved to a virtual program model, providing many of the same much-loved programs as before, but now in a video format.
Other Alberta institutions that are closed due to the pandemic, such as the Calgary Public Library, the Glenbow Museum, the Calgary Zoo, and many others, are offering free access to services, virtual tours of exhibits, and unique daily programming.
We are all in this together, as our health officials remind us, and perhaps as The Great Pause eventually comes to an end, we will understand just how connected we really are.
To see all our virtual programming or to get your free library card, go to airdriepubliclibray.ca
