When I opened my eyes Sunday morning, I knew I had another year to do what I was created to do: teach people how to be healthy and fit. For those of you who are new readers, here’s the story: when I wake on May 10th every year, my superstitious belief is that I have at least one more year to live. That was the day my dad died in 1969. In case you’re wondering, I’m version 2 (my father was the first Chester John Zelasko) and it’s been 51 years since my father died. It makes no sense in the real world, especially for a guy who’s a scientist, but every May 10 is a milestone for me.
It’s been one heck of a year. I had big plans to be on the road more, but as the saying goes, Man plans and God laughs. I never would have believed a virus could change society so completely. You may believe that the government over-reacted or you may believe they acted too slowly. Whichever camp you’re in, what I do care about is that you respect this virus. Not fear it—respect it. At this point, I can’t tell you who is at risk for a severe infection and who isn’t. The elderly for sure and many with comorbidities, which is over 80% of the U.S. population. True, the risk is small for the most severe infections. Are you willing to take that chance for yourself? For your parents? For your children? It may not be you at risk, but as a carrier, you may put others at risk. As I said, not fear; just respect.
At first we thought children were at little risk from the coronavirus, so I didn’t worry much about that guy in the pic with me (a picture taken March 3, the last time we were all out of the house together). But every day brings new information, and the risks to kids are coming into focus. I’ll be a happy grampa when the day comes that Riley can get vaccinated against the virus along with the rest of us. (We’ll put aside talk of vaccines until another day.) And in the meantime, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep myself and the rest of the family healthy because we all need each other.
What will the next year be like? No clue. At some point, I’ll be back on the road, but who knows when that will be. I’m a teacher, and I’ll find a way to keep doing that effectively in this digital age. Stay tuned.
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What are you prepared to do today?
Dr. Chet
