Calming down and making plans

Galena is a resilient community.
The last week has been a cascading chain-reaction of events being postponed or outright cancelled; people panicking and stocking up on toilet tissue; school called off until March 30; and me wondering exactly how many canned goods is appropriate for the coming weeks.
Through it all, I’ve watched as my daughter’s trip to march in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Chicago get shut down; their band trip to New York postponed; and two different school plays hover in limbo. It’s tough, to share in your kid’s uncertainty about whether or not their hard work will ever be seen by an audience.
It’s a situation all parents of school-age students find themselves in, the pain of not seeing the fruits of their kid’s work. Scholastic bowl students were positioned to go far. Athletes who shine at track, softball and baseball will not have that opportunity this school year. Songs and lines have been rehearsed, but may never be performed for an audience.
I don’t like not knowing. I suspect the kids like it even less. It particularly burns when your oldest daughter is a senior, and this was her first lead role.
I know I’m not alone. I know there are many other parents of seniors, looking forward to these milestones with their children. It’s tough, to figure out what to say to your kids. Just what do you say, to three teenage daughters, when you’re just as blind as they are?
So, like everyone else, we stock up. We made a number of trips to the Pig and Walmart. Each time, I saw community members and other parents calmly stocking up, no one quite certain what the future held.
That uncertainty manifested itself on a national scale this week, as shelves went empty throughout many stores.
Locally, the feeling seems to be the same: this community is preparing for uncertain times.
It’s frustrating, from a parent’s perspective, to not know with any certainty what’s going to happen in the next month.
And it’s not just the next month. In addition to cancelled April events, this uncertainty-creep is starting to ooze into early summer. May and June events are already cancelled or postponed.

Advertisement Advertisement There are two events in the coming months that the Kiwanis Club of Galena organizes, and plans on seeing through.
The Run for the Parks is still scheduled to happen on Saturday, May 16. Our club is still moving forward with our plans, under the optimistic approach that the community will have rebounded by then, and all restrictions about large groups of people gathering will be pulled back.
This run should be fun. There is a half-mile kid’s run; five-mile run; and a ten-mile run, all on the Galena River Trail. Proceeds will go to replace old playground equipment, right here in Galena. To sign up, visit kiwanisclubofgalena.org.
The Kiwanis Club is also working to bring the Independence Day events to the community. We partner with the GOATS bicycle club, the Galena Art & Recreation Center (ARC) and many, many other community organizations to make this a reality. We’re still planning on fireworks Saturday, July 4.
This community works to make things happen. Last year, during the fourth of July festivities, Bobby Hahn brought buns and other supplies from the Galena Elks, as a donation to the food tent downtown. The Elks didn’t need to, and the Kiwanis Club appreciated the thoughtful contribution.
That story illustrates what makes Galena, Galena. People watching out for each other, and contributing to each other, in small and large ways alike.
I imagine, in the coming weeks, there will be many other stories like that. Stories of community members going above and beyond, reaching out, helping each other and making sure we all get through this. Raising each over up.
Neighbors watching out for neighbors. Parents watching out for other people’s kids.
The main thing people won’t remember about this pandemic is how they couldn’t buy toilet paper. The main thing people will remember about this pandemic is how the community came together.
When we make it through, we can all celebrate.
After all, Galena is a resilient community.

Jay Dickerson is the advertising manager of the Gazette. Were Doug Adams still alive, he’d suggest we “Don’t panic.” jdickerson@galgazette.com