1 and 2 are not halfway to 4

Patience. That word and theme has been stressed many times in editorials since mid-March. Mid-March. That was two months ago. How patient we have been these last two months. Hopefully, that has become habit.

Our new habits, of patience, of social distancing, of wearing masks, of shopping local establishments with takeout orders, like muscles constantly employed, make us stronger and able to go on. And go on, using these newly strengthened muscles in these new ways, is exactly what we must do.

For how long?

We have to hear and accept and believe and act in these ways for even another four months.

Rick Larsen, our congressional representative, is getting more detailed information than most of us. Friday he said four months. To wring this novel coronavirus out of our country, to starve it of its oxygen – our lungs – we have to keep our distances from each other well into the summer. Especially as out of towners come to visit, for our – your – own good, we need to keep our masked distance. Until there is universal testing, follow up contact tracing and the necessary isolation of people confirmed positive, all of us must continue our habit of patience and masks and distance.

Gov. Jay Inslee has laid out a four phase plan to open Washington back up, to “Start Safe.” We cannot get to Phase 2 until we meet the criteria of Phase 1.

Each phase is a test, a contest if you will, a challenge that we win only by gaining the high scores of mastering each item on, first, the Phase 1 list.

If we, as individuals, a community, a county and state pass all the features of Phase 1, then we move in to Phase 2. Then we start all over again, mastering all the items on that list.

May’s partial opening means you can buy a car or boat, get your house painted and your lawn mowed and spend the day in a state park. But you cannot camp overnight. That is for June, once state metrics for case numbers are met. When they are you can get your haircut. Phase 2 activities open us into a little wider normal. But eating out will be limited to five people at a table and seating at 50% capacity.

Our holding tight to social distancing, wearing masks and very limited social interaction will move the state into Phase 3, in early July, at the earliest. But no fireworks this year, no summer concerts, only gathering with up to 50 people until our continued good public health practices pass us into Phase 4, in August at best. Phase 4 holds open the possibility of football. Our graduation to Phase 4 “resume(s) public interactions with physical distancing.”

Meeting that goal in 12 weeks is the equivalent of a Seahawks perfect season, a 300 bowling score, 12 strikes in a row.

With seven million people navigating that route, we will not be a smooth oiled machine. There will be stumbles.

That is the story and news internationally, upticks and case increases in South Korea and China. That will happen here.

We are in week two of Phase 1, the equivalent of taking baby steps. How impatient babies are to walk and then run. How often they skin their knees. But walk and run they eventually do. Some become athletes and others, dancers.

We won’t have seven million make the varsity, but this is a team effort, depending in each of us to get into shape.

Having spent two months getting muscular with these social exercises we have practiced, we must continue, increasing our strength, our resilience and maintaining our health.

It can be as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4 but it is a long stretch just to get from 1 to 2 and we have to test out of each phase.

Patience, practice and resilience must be our mantra.