#DieForTheDow? Not Me

Hello, my name is Carrie, and I'm high-risk.

Right now, like many high-risk individuals, both young and old, I'm concerned about COVID-19.

I have two strikes against me. Strike one: I have one kidney, the other took a weird turn a couple of years ago, collapsed, and had to be removed. Strike two: I'm 70 years old.

I exercise daily, I eat well, and I still work. My doctor tells me I'm in surprisingly good health. But I'm still high-risk. So is anyone with chronic asthma, heart disease, diabetes, suppressed immunity, you name it.

Anything that could compromise your wellness right now makes you high-risk. Even smoking or heavy vaping use can put you at risk.

Think about that. It's not just the old who are at risk right now. It's a whole spectrum of young and old if they are at all compromised.

It's not just me. It could be you.

I don't know about you, but for the record, I'm not willing, like Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick suggests, to die in order to save the economy and keep my grandchildren from going through a Depression.

I am, however, willing to quarantine myself to be sure I neither get this disease nor give it to anyone else. Including you.

Here's my take on grandchildren. Young children need to have as many adults as possible in their lives who love them unconditionally. Grandchildren need grandparents.

Plus, grandparents, i.e., the elders of this world, are grounded in wisdom and experience. When things are coming off the rails, like they are right now, a little wisdom can go a long, long way—in addition to that unconditional love thing.

Here's the truth with a capital Texas "T." The suggestion to push people back to work and let the old folks die in order to save the economy may have more to do with some individuals' personal stock portfolios than it does with saving the world for the future.

Many of the people who argue that it's time to get people back to work say they want folks out of their homes and back in their offices to protect the economy for their grandchildren. Really?

Because their grandchildren aren't smart enough to make their own money? Or maybe investment-focused folks believe their own children are a little too reckless buying lattes and therefore aren't likely to leave anything behind for the next generation.

Maybe.

Let's talk about the stock market for a minute.

Is COVID-19 killing it? Or are nervous investors who are selling off stocks putting the life of the Dow in danger?

Stock markets go down when there are large sell-offs. Sell-offs happen when people get scared that they are going to lose their investments. Investments crumble when people sell.

See how that works?

If you want the stock market, and therefore, the economy to stay afloat, don't rock the boat.

Unless you absolutely have to, to pay your bills, don't sell your stocks. Watching the stock market tumble can be a panic-inducing thing. Don't panic.

Here's what we know about today's market economy.

1. What is going on right now is different than what happened with the market fall in 2008.
2. We don't know for certain if the worst is behind us.
3. The market may be lower tomorrow.
4. Historically, markets drop, but they eventually rebound.

Hold tight for the rebound. Don't sell unless you have to. Don't react to every news story. Look at your own story. If you really need the money to pay your bills, then sell only what you have to sell. Sit tight on the rest. If you're young, you have time to weather this and realize an economic recovery in your portfolio's value that, if you want, can be passed on to your children and grandchildren.

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The most important thing you can do today to help the economy stabilize is staying home. That's the best way to slow the spread of this virus and get people working again.

You may not be compromised, but someone you might pass on the street could very well be. Don't be responsible for their illness. The more people who get sick, the longer this will go on.

Now, call your grandparents.

Tell them you love them and hope they'll stay healthy and be around for a long, long time.

They love you. Unconditionally. And that's worth a million dollars.