Islands in the Storm
The world is going into the fifth month of life with COVID 19. In most places, isolation is the new way of life. Phrases like "social distancing" and "quarantine" have become the buzz words of 2020. These words sound ominous, but perhaps we aren't looking at this from the best point of view. Isolation comes from the Latin root for "island." When we think about it, every continent is its own island - huge land masses that are floating, literally, on the Earth's surface. If one is out on the sea, an island can be a respite or a curse, which is why so many lighthouses were built on islands. Staying with the metaphor of the lighthouse for a minute, let us consider what life was like living as the caretaker of a lighthouse. This was an important position back in the days before automated lights and electricity. The lighthouse keeper had to literally light the lamp and keep the light in good working order. The keeper also saved lives when storms