There was a show I watched when I was little. It was called Let's Make a Deal, and the host offered contestants a chance to pick the prize behind door number 1, door number 2, or door number 3. Sometimes there was a new washing machine, or even a car. But there was no changing your mind. You only got one, and the purpose of seeing the others was to make you feel lucky... or disappointed. And to please the sponsors. 

 

The good thing was that right answers were revealed immediately. No one left the studio feeling unsure. 

 

Lately it seems many of us are struggling with uncertainty. Even as we make our selections... to cancel a vacation, to go to a wedding, to hug a friend, or keep our distance, we lack clarity about whether it was the correct one. There is no music cued to indicate a smart guess, nor a horn blast to accompany a bust. We are expected to make similar decisions again tomorrow with the same absence of response. It's like attending a college class, handing in assignments and taking tests, with no feedback. 

 

I wonder if there is a possibility that the washing machines, and even staying out of the hospital are distractions. Without any desire to minimize the repercussions of the virus, I have a funny feeling that the larger dilemma is about how we embody concern for one another. On that game show in the sixties, only one guest went home with a new car. But I believe there are enough doors for all of us to open up to empathy.

 

And that is the Real Deal.