Dr. Strang,
Just a few months ago, I didn’t know your name. Now your voice echoes through my living room each day, providing comfort and clarity at a time I’ve never needed it more.
This isn’t to say you weren’t important back then, working as hard as ever in your day-to-day life. But that’s the thing about heroes - when things are going well, they lay low. But when the world needs them most, they rise to the surface, ready to face the challenge head-on.
It’s a strange thing to feel a connection to someone you’ve never met. My first and only conversation with you was during a conference call where you updated universities across the province. I sat quietly and listened as you spoke with bluntness and urgency - this virus is coming, and we needed to prepare.
It is because of you that decisions were made so quickly, protecting the lives of countless Nova Scotians before it was too late. It doesn’t take much creativity to imagine what things would be like under different circumstances. Without your expertise and insight, we would be in trouble, to say the least. During these challenging times, when examples of poor leadership are sadly visible in many realms, I am proud to say it’s one thing we Nova Scotians don’t have to worry about.
Each time you come on screen, a calm comes over the house, and I know it’s not just mine. Though the information you share isn’t always positive, your knowledgeable and direct addresses keep us informed and prepared to do what we can to make it through this together.
Fortunately, the Easter Bunny is an expert in social distancing and has been practicing good paw-washing since he was just a young bunny. This year’s Easter egg hunt may be a little different, but I’m sure we will all be able to find ways to make it fun 😀
— Robert Strang (@StrangRobert) March 27, 2020
But you don’t stop there; when someone’s kids ask how the Easter Bunny will visit them during the pandemic, you’ve even got an answer for that. You’ve become a household name, the topic of lighthearted small talk and jokes about Marvel superheroes. You may not know it, but you’ve become a light in the dark for all of us, bringing Nova Scotians together during a time when it’s so easy to drift apart.
When Nova Scotia is threatened by a global super virus, he emerges from his sanctum to protect us all.#nspoli #NovaScotia pic.twitter.com/Ij4lXe8d2n
— Randal... WASH YOUR HANDS (@randaltomada) March 19, 2020
To Dr. Strang’s family, thank you for letting us borrow your husband and father; we know it isn’t easy to share him with the rest of the province, but we hope you’re so proud of everything he has done. We promise you can have him back after this, but I have a feeling he’ll hold a special place in many of our hearts for years to come.
I’m a big Muppet fan plus one of my favorite quotes is from Will Rogers “Life is too short. Get all the good laughs you can.”
— Robert Strang (@StrangRobert) March 25, 2020
Just happy you didn’t compare the Premier and I to Statler and Waldorf😀
Dr. Strang, I think I can speak for many of us across the province when I say: knowledge is power, and you are our superhero.
Thank you.
Jill Ellsworth is a writer and communications specialist who lives in Dominion. Her column appears biweekly in the Saltwire Network newspapers. She can be reached at [email protected]
