Our dead live on in imaginary conversations. What, I keep wondering, would my late father-in-law make of all this? It’s an imperfect lens through which to make sense of this pandemic, I know, but it’s the best I have. What makes this crisis unique is that the generation now in charge, we 40 or 50-something heads of families, companies and countries, have no elder wisdom to draw upon. Parents can’t proffer any reassuring “back in my day” fireside chats, even via Zoom.

Source: The Times April 17, 2020 23:01 UTC