Music & Social Distancing

Over the weekend, I was supposed to sing for a very dear fundraiser. That fundraiser was responsibly postponed. The attendance at that fundraiser would have included many immunosuppressed patients and their families. 

It was a blow, of course. 

I look forward to the event each year and the fundraiser itself usually includes door prizes, fun-money casino tables, and the all-important silent auction. 

In lieu of that night, I held a special live-streaming concert that can be accessed here. 

I was also scheduled to sing for an incredibly important gathering today (March 17th). This particular event has not been cancelled, and it means even more to me than these fundraisers. It is vitally important to a great many people and is not currently on the list of events that are to be avoided or limited. 

Over the weekend I had to make a very tough decision. 

For the gathering today, people are being flown in from out of town and out of country, so I had to decide whether or not it was safe for me to honour my commitment. 

I take these commitments very seriously. They are important to me and even more important to those around me. 

With me being immunocompromised and with the number of people attending, I was very nervous. Part of me was hoping that the government would encourage its postponement, but wanting to give enough notice, I made the decision to cancel. Before I cancelled, I ensured there was a replacement for my absence. 

This is only the second time in my life I have cancelled such an event. The first time I ever had to cancel was the day I found out that I would eventually go blind and that it could have been within a matter of weeks (I was 21 at the time). I found out the news and was supposed to sing two hours later - but I could not stop crying. I was understandably shaken and could not keep my composure. I was a wreck. 

We all have commitments. We all have places we need to be, things we need to do, and promises we need to keep. 

We also need to weigh the risks of those promises. 

I am eternally grateful to the brave men and women who are dedicated to providing health care while putting themselves and their families at risk. I am grateful to those who help to keep store shelves stocked. I am grateful to teachers who are working around the clock to provide virtual classrooms since the schools have been closed to students. I am grateful to neighbours and friends who continuously check in on one another. I am grateful to those who go out of their way to lend a helping hand. I am also grateful to those who understand my fears as a high-risk individual - who also understand that it kills me to renege on commitments. 

It is an important time to really consider the decisions we make. 

If you were watching yourself - as a character - in a movie about a pandemic, seeing people (of all ages) severely ill, requiring ventilators, or even dying, how would you describe your character? While many may not feel ill at all, those people are still spreading the illness to those who may require intensive care, or worse. It is up to each and every one of us to decide what is truly important in our lives; what is worth the risk for ourselves, for our families, for our neighbours, friends, and for our most vulnerable populations. 

Normally, for the singing I was supposed to do today, I would do everything I could to be there. I hate that I will not be present. I am saddened and frustrated that my compromised immune system forces me made the decision for me, when I so desperately wanted to be there. 

I also know that it was the correct decision. 

We all have to make tough choices. Please consider the health of others when making these decisions.