DeLaune’s Corner: Communication, checking on everyone can go a long way

DeLaune’s Corner

Communication, checking on everyone can go a long way

Even during turmoil and strife, people need to know they are not alone

OKMULGEE, Oklahoma — Hello, everyone! Did you all miss me? You all have no idea how much I have missed you.

I am back, but only for a bit.

I was asked to start my column again and I don’t think they were done with the sentence before I left and started writing to you all.

What a year it has been for us already. My goodness!

It seems like the only words we are hearing is social distancing and stay home. Two things that I would do long before this all started.

During all of what is going on, we see things that makes us fearful and things that make us laugh. I know the pandemic is not anything funny but there are times people need to have a laugh.

People need something to put that smile back on their face, something to get those endorphins going again. I understand everyone is scared but some laughter or a smile can go a long way.

Not long ago I was doing a delivery for my department when I saw something that I considered lost or started to become irrelevant, the hand wave.

I was driving on two-lane highways and people who were going the opposite direction started doing something I have not seen in sometime, waving at me.

Of course, it is usually me that initiates the gesture and I wait for a response but on several occasions, they were the first to wave.

This form of communication I felt was lost but you all, my readers have proven me wrong (cue the applause). Everyone is bringing it back.

With our ways of seeing people now inhibited, we have to adapt and improvise.

Because I need for you all to do something for me if you are not doing it already. Check on everyone that you know. Our society has ways to communicate even during this period of social distancing.

See how they are doing, ask them if they need anything and let them know that even though we are at a distance, they are not alone.

We have elected officials that went by several elderly houses and checked on the residents there to see if they needed anything. They practiced the social distancing and stayed the required distance but they still checked on them.

We were always taught to check on our loved ones and ones that are alone. That has been instilled in me and several people that I know since we were babies.

If you cannot do what this person did, that is absolutely fine, there are other ways. Several examples are calling, texting, messaging, email, Skype, FaceTime or the simple wave can do more wonders than people think, especially for our elderly.

I know from social media that it pleased a lot of people when they did this, my mother was one of them that they checked on.

Let’s follow in our leader’s footsteps. We have ways to check on our loved ones, let’s take advantage.

Of course, I am not going to let my reader’s go without giving you all a quote. So here we go.

“If you have the power to make someone happy today, do it. The world needs more people like that.” – Anonymous

Thank you for reading this column. You all have no idea how happy I am to write to everyone again.

I will see you all later. Love ya!