Commentary: Love in the time of the novel coronavirus

It’s hard enough to date in a perfect world, let alone one filled with the coronavirus.

Since my divorce nearly a decade ago, I’ve come to learn that looking for love is filled with anxiety, euphoria and disappointment; still, I am standing.

Because I am 71, health and finances are critical to my peace of mind. I never dreamed of having to add “social distancing” and hoarding to the list.

The notion of looking for Mr. or Ms. Right in the age of COVID-19 seems to be evolving rather quickly into elbow bumps and phone dates.

That’s bad news for Laguna Beach’s many coffee spots, bars and restaurants. Virtually all of them have been shuttered in Italy and France, for example.

Unless you have been living in a cave, you know schools, places of worship, politicians and businesses are all coming to grips with the coronavirus.

Parents aren’t sure what to do with their young children now that classrooms have been closed; religious leaders are videotaping services for their parishioners; large political rallies no longer are happening; and, Walmart has changed its hours.

Unfortunately, no one, and I mean no one, knows how long this will last.

In an effort to deal with all this uncertainty, I have made a conscious decision to connect with as many people as possible.

I am calling family members every few days, and I have created a neighbor-to-neighbor email list that encourages dozens of my Laguna friends to stay in touch with each other.

Both seem to be working. I’m now up to speed on my son’s favorite movies, and a neighbor recently reached out for help. As one of my friends reported, “Acts of kindness are contagious, even in these days of the coronavirus.”

The late Gabriel García Márquez’s classic novel “Love in the Time of Cholera” suggests that lovesickness is a literal illness, manifesting itself in both physical and emotional pain.

Finding love in the time of COVID-19 is similar. Yes, life is being altered by this latest pandemic, but the longing to connect with a special person remains constant.

How one meets this challenge helps define each of us in the dating world. Clearly, I am no exception.

The writer lives in Laguna Beach.

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