Growing up with fear and anxiety: It's nothing new - and we'll get through this, too

For those of a certain age, the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly something to fear. Today’s senior citizens, we are told, are the most vulnerable.

As that age group (now in their 70s and 80s) grew up and matured, every decade seemed to have had its own fear-inducing event.

Consider:

• World War II. Many of us were young enough to not realize the true meaning of the impact of the war in the early half of the 1940s. What we sensed or knew is that we were growing up in a world of women with many of our fathers, uncles and other male family members away. A recurring playground ditty: “Whistle while you work. Hitler is a jerk.”
• The 1940s Polio Epidemic. After the war, just as life was returning to what would pass as “normal,” there was a nation-wide polio epidemic. Since the cause of polio was not known at that time, young people were warned not “to play in rain puddles.” That was prohibiting a major joy for youngsters. What we did know is that money was being collected for “The March of Dimes.” Parents would talk about closed swimming pools and iron lungs in hushed tones. A special building was constructed at York Hospital – an isolation unit – to combat the dreaded illness.
• The 1950s Cold War. Those in school during the beginning of the Cold War could not avoid the fear of an atom bomb falling somewhere near our neighborhoods. To prepare, there were drills in elementary school on how to close the classroom window shades (could pulling the paper shades protect us from flying window glass?) and how to duck under our desks. More than that, student identification bracelets were sold through the schools – just in case.
• The mid-1960s York Drought. There was uncertainty and concern when York faced a water crisis. One point of humor: spotting a bumper sticker stating – “Save Water; Shower with a Friend.”
• The 1970s Three Mile Island Accident. Close to home, and perhaps scariest of all, was the fear of the unknown concerning radiation and what its effects might be. The film “The China Syndrome,” coming out immediately before the actual accident in “our own backyard” only added to the panic-fed situation.

Remember, we survived all those angst events and came back stronger afterwards.

We will do the same this time.

Gordon Freireich is a former editor of the York Sunday News. Email: gordonaf2805@gmail.com.