Social Distancer

By Kat Kramer

Welcome to the Age Of Aquarius? We’re supposed to be approaching this incredible time, based on a New Age philosophy and Astrological principles. Instead, we’re now in the Age of Coronavirus. How long this challenging cycle will last, nobody knows. We do have past historical examples to learn from, such as the Swine Flu pandemic of 1918, which wiped out more souls worldwide than World War 1.

People call me daily asking “how are you during this terrible COVID-19 pandemic?” I tell them “doing just fine, thank-you.” I’m living with my sister, and 86 year old mother. She’s at the “high risk” age. Even more unsettling, Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer back in January. She hasn’t been out of the house in one month. We all three started “sheltering in place” before Governor Newsom and Mayor Garcetti announced the mandatory “stay-at-home policy.”

My father, the late, Legendary filmmaker Stanley Kramer, made the classic movie “On The Beach” in 1959, about the end of the world caused by an atomic bomb. It was based on the book by Neville Shute. When most of the world was on lock down, my social media was flooded with folks telling me that the empty streets reminded them of “On The Beach.” Clearly my father was ahead of his time. I wonder what he would think if he were still alive. Would he be blown away that an unseen virus would kill millions of souls globally, and not nuclear radiation?

Obviously, “On The Beach” has become a current point of reference film. The Rolling Stones released their new single in April called “Living In A Ghost Town.” They began writing it prior to the lockdown, and recorded much of the tune while in isolation. The official video reflects the desolate streets of the world as we know it now, and it could be a re-imagined “On The Beach.”

What strikes me as even more prophetic, I’ve been practicing social distancing for years, before it was the new “normal.” That’s not to say I was prone to wearing a mask, but I have always washed my hands frequently, and stopped “shaking hands” in social situations at least a decade ago. When meeting an individual, I generally do the air greeting or elbow bump. My excuse? “I’m just getting over a cold, and don’t want to infect anyone.” The truth is, I’m aware how rapidly germs can spread. It seems that my clairvoyent nature sensed an epidemic was coming.Many of my friends have been affected by COVID-19. A couple of them had it, recovered, and some have lost loved ones. It’s a daily tragedy, making it a challenge to keep a positive outlook.

One of the saddest deaths was 99 year old Leah Bernstein, who was my father’s executive secretary. Leah passed away from coronavirus complications at the Motion Picture and Television Fund. She was the sixth

resident to die from the virus. Why would a prominent nursing home for older members of the film industry not be able to contain the virus? A friend of mine recently had cancer surgery at City Of Hope. They have zero cases. Didn’t the MPTF restrict visitors or enforce masks, gloves and social distancing?

I’ve learned so much from this scary, historical time. The sense of community is strong around LA County, with teens getting groceries for seniors, and I’ve witnessed rare acts of kindness and generosity in SoCal.

Our family has been productive, working on projects, participating in Zoom conferences. We’ve been working together in harmony, re-evaluating our short and long term goals.

I’m concerned about the animals and wildlife. Since it’s been proven that other species can contract COVID-19 from humans, this leaves so many shelter and house pets, wildlife in a vulnerable position. Animal exploitation is the main reason we’re dealing with COVID-19. We aren’t meant to “eat” animals and the cruel practice of slaughtering cattle,pigs, chickens and turkeys for human consumption.

If ever the human race was supposed to be “woke”, the time is now.