NIAGARA, Wis. — By this point in our lives, most of us can remember events that have become permanent milestones or turning points in our country’s history. As a baby boomer, the Vietnam War and the assassinations of 1968 loom large in my memory. I have vivid memories of 20% interest rates during the Jimmy Carter years because I was working at a local construction company, and we were not building anything. Of course, 9-11 looms large in my memory as well.

I hated to watch those horrific images on the nightly news, yet in some strange way I felt it was the least I could do given the heroic rescue efforts that were unfolding every hour. I also knew that I was experiencing an historic event when we went through the financial crisis of 2008. But then I was still working and told myself that I had time to “make up” for the economic downturn.

But I know I am not alone when I say that the worldwide health crisis we are currently experiencing feels different. There is both a sense that we are in the midst of a history making moment along with an underlying fear that we are at the mercy of a microscopic organism we do not yet completely understand. It is difficult to get ahead of a bad situation when you do not really know your enemy. Thankfully for all of us, there are national and international health experts whose voices have become louder in recent weeks and are now being heard.

In an effort to calm my own fears and prevent my emotions from getting the best of me, I have been intentionally approaching the current coronavirus situation with a spectator’s detachment.

First, I have noticed the decrease in traffic volume. Granted, we do not live in a crowded city where “rush hour” is something to really worry about, but even in our neck of the woods the number of cars on the roads has dramatically decreased. Second, I had to go to the grocery store recently and noticed what was missing on the shelves. All of the bags of flour were gone, and there was not a frozen pizza to be seen.

But I was pleasantly surprised to see that the food supply was not nearly as depleted as I had expected. I was able to purchase everything on my list — even my allotment of two packages of toilet paper.

Shoppers were not storming the store, nor were they over-buying; it was busy but not crazy. Finally, I kept my medical appointment this week for my annual physical and was pleased to learn from my physician that our local hospital is well prepared for the potential influx of patients infected with COVID-19.

The term “social distancing” has now become part of our vocabulary. We are social creatures so this has been difficult for many of us. And, as Americans, none of us likes to feel that our freedoms are being infringed upon so do not take kindly to being told we can no longer go to the movie theater or to our favorite restaurant. It is one thing to decide on our own to stay home and quite another to say we are “prohibited” from attending an event or to be told that appointments are no longer being scheduled when we try to get a haircut.

My husband recently put it into perspective for me by comparing it to being submerged in water. We may feel like we are drowning, but we can hold our breath for a time. We are in this stage right now. Eventually, the waters will recede, and we will be able to all breathe normally again.

Yes, indeed, this is certainly an interesting time through which we are all travelling — as they say, “one for the history books.” Consequently, there is no shortage of information and advice hitting my email’s inbox from a variety of sources. One recent article on the Very Well Mind website addressed the physical, mental and emotional challenges of this chapter of our lives and offered some good advice.

— Good physical exercise is still very possible, so if you are missing your regular trips to the YMCA or local gym, do the following instead: Take a brisk walk around the neighborhood — thankfully, the weather is improving so this is now more possible. We are also blessed with an outdoor environment second to none that allows us easy access to lots of outdoor settings without crowds of people. A solitary walk in the woods is not far away, or we can drive to a lakeshore or a river bank for a walk amid nature. We can also tune into a TV fitness channel or plug in our favorite exercise DVD for a good home-based workout.

— Try your best to avoid “ruminating” or dwelling on the events of the day. Overthinking leads to worrying, which leads to anxiety and depression. Stay informed, but limit the amount of time you spend in front of the news, and choose your sources wisely. Right now, pay attention to professional health sources. The information being provided by the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization is far more reliable than other news outlets or websites that pass along personal opinion as fact.

— It is important to consciously manage loneliness. Keep yourself emotionally healthy by sticking to your normal routine as much as possible. Find substitutes for personal contact. Call your friends on the phone instead of meeting for coffee. Keep in touch with family via mail, email, face time and other means provided by technology. Call it your “on line quarantine chat.”

— Do something meaningful with the extra time on your hands. If you need to update photo albums, family trees, or scrapbooks now is a great time for such solitary activity. You can immerse yourself in memories until it is safe to make new ones.

— Catch up on all of those Netflix or HBO movies you have been meaning to watch. Binge on your favorite series. Or read a book.

— Creative activities such as sewing, writing, knitting and other crafts are great ways to get your mind to concentrate on something other than the latest count of states and countries affected by the virus.

— Get a jump start on your spring cleaning ritual.

— Create your own in-home spa experience. Take a relaxing bath and indulge in a pampering facial. Listen to music.

We are in this for the long haul. And we are in this together– separate but all experiencing the same disruptions and uncomfortable emotions. Let’s pledge to all do our best to follow all of the necessary precautions so we come through on the other side of this experience. Believe in ourselves and believe in each other; together we can show, once again, that America will not be defeated.

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The usual senior living activity calendars and senior center menus will not be published this week in an effort to avoid confusion. Due to the coronavirus and the vulnerability of our elderly population, daily life in our senior living facilities and senior centers has changed dramatically.

All living facilities have closed their doors to public visitation, and the activity calendars have been modified to allow for one-to-one room visits only and individualized activities to keep residents engaged and active as much as possible while remaining within the health and safety guidelines provided by state health experts.

Group games are being substituted with individualized activities residents can do in their respective rooms. Staff are providing supplies as well as “overhead announcement bingo and trivia” games that can be played in individual rooms. YouTube and DVDs are being utilized to provide religious services.

A big dose of gratitude and appreciation goes out to all senior care staff for their creativity, caring and perseverance through a difficult situation.

All senior centers also have been closed to any center-based activity. Many centers have made alternative meal options available.

Questions can be directed to the individual centers at the numbers all listed below.

SENIOR CENTERS

Alpha-Mastodon Center

906-875-3315

Amasa Center

906-822-7284

Breen Center

906-774-5110

Crystal Falls Center

Head cook: Lucy Korhonen

906-875-6709

Crystal Lake Center

Iron Mountain

(906) 239-0278

Felch Center

906-246-3559

Aging and Disability Resource Center of Florence County, Wis.

715-528-4890

Director: Tiffany White

Fence Center/Town Hall

715-336-2980

For meal reservations call 855-528-2372

Florence Community Center/Town Hall

For meal reservations call 715-528-4261

Tipler Town Hall

For meal reservations call 715-674-2320

Hillcrest Senior Dining Center, Aurora

For meal reservations call 715-589-4491

Hermansville Center

Coordinator: Pam Haluska

906-498-7735

Iron River Center

906-265-6134

Niagara Northwoods Senior Cafe and Center

Meal site manager: Corrie Maule, 715-251-1603

Senior center director: Jill Anderson, 715-251- 4154

Norway Center

Director: Susie Slining

906-563-8716

Sagola Center

906-542-3273