To the editor:

I grew up with the sayings, “a stitch in time saves nine” and “forewarned is forearmed.” They have helped me to head off trouble in my daily life for over 60 years.

“Cause and effect” is a hard concept to wrap your head around. It’s not always easy to put a finger on whether something you have done or not done has produced the outcome you that you hoped. There is also a concept called the “Preparedness Paradox” which explains this pretty well. The simple definition for the word “paradox” is, a statement or belief that runs opposite to your expectation.

Epidemiologist Marie Armstrong-Hough explains, “You won’t ever know if what you did personally helped. That’s the nature of public health. When the best way to save lives is to prevent a disease rather than treat it, success often looks like overreaction.”

When we follow the directions given to us by people who have studied viruses and how they kill, we give ourselves the best chance to live and not be the cause of the deaths of others. Right now, wearing face masks when we must be in public and social distancing of at least 6 feet between us is working.

A stitch in time saves nine.

Jaklyn Hutchins

Sleepy Eye