6 • The Beacon May 20 , 2021

The long school year of 2020-21 is coming to a close . Can we please take a moment to thank all our teachers , administrators , coaches , maintenance crews , bus drivers , janitors , cooks and all who worked and endured through the frustration of the COVID- 19 pandemic . These folks go to work each day to ensure our youth receive the education they need for the future . Thank you !

There are so many people to thank as we begin the wind-down process and start shifting back into a

Mark Fortune

Mark ’ s Musings

higher gear . Topping the list would be our healthcare workers who sacrificed much during the pandemic and are perhaps still in that mode . They gave up time with family and friends to ensure those who needed care received that attention .

Our first responders are certainly high on the list , along with our elected officials , their staff and the local emergency management team . During the height of the pandemic , their communication was rapid and concise , helping keep the people of Coshocton County informed of what was happening with COVID-19 .

The folks who volunteered at the COVID-19 vaccine clinics , all who answered the phones to help those who wanted an appointment for the shot — the list can go on and on .

The simple fact is it took lots and lots of people to help us get through this rough patch in our history . Could it happen again ? Probably . Hopefully we will know more about ourselves and how to approach something of this magnitude . Of course , there will always be those who say things went too far , that it was not necessary to shut everything down , et cetera , et cetera . You get the idea .

The point is we will not know what would have or could have happened . You can run all the models you want . You can examine lots of data or listen to the pundits and their opinions . Regardless of your approach , it does not

change the decisions that were made at the time , nor does it change where we are right now . We ’ re all tired of wearing the masks , and at least some of those restrictions have been lifted . We ’ re moving on .

But as we do that , let ’ s not forget those who lost their lives and all of the families that lost loved ones to COVID-19 . The pain , the loss and the absence of a loved one is all too real . It would be a good idea for all of us to reflect on the suffering that was experienced by so many in so many different ways .

I believe everyone will handle the aftermath of the pandemic in different ways . For some it may be almost surreal . For others , they could find themselves in a state of weariness as the mind and body process what has been over a year of constant turmoil and stress . This could largely depend on your job or perhaps your own experience or that of your loved ones during the pandemic . Please continue to be cautious and grateful for all who helped us through this crisis .

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