I keep reading old newspapers to learn how our ancestors dealt with their 1918 pandemic, the Spanish Flu. Here is a telling story from the October 22, 1918 edition of the Paris, Oxford County, Maine newspaper, the Oxford Democrat, which can be found here at Chronicling America.

The purpose of the article was to warn against the infectiousness of pneumonia contracted as a result of the Spanish flu. Many thought it was the usual type, something they were used to dealing with. Even into October of 1918 after so many were infected and so many had died from the Spanish flu pneumonia. In acting as if the illness was not different than the usual flu and pneumonia, many died. I am afraid that like then, our denial will only make things worse.

In the article from the newspaper, which I posted on the right, the story proceeds. One family was taken ill in a small community of only eight households. Neighbors went to help the family in need as they do, especially in a small rural village. But not the family on the outs with their neighbors. They did not help. They kept their distance and guess who survived unscathed? Yep, the grumpy ones!

It seems likely that by the time this bug is done with us, we will all be grumpy — and maybe more of us will be social distancing — and by choice! I am also struck by the death of the nurse, whether an official nurse or not, she went into that home to be a caregiver and died for her good deeds.

It seems that in such times we lose the good ones. And that might be the biggest tragedy of all. As much as I would like to go out to eat or get my hair cut or just walk on a crowded sidewalk, I will maintain my social distancing (even when businesses might be opening – as they are in Iowa) and perhaps I will reach a crazy new level of grumpiness. But that’s okay if it helps to protect our caregivers. And friends and family.