PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon, as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

In the midst of the current pandemic, it may seem strange to write about lessons we can learn from it.

Normally, such an aspiration is more likely to be uttered after the emergency, not during it. Plus, at the moment, survival – either from coronavirus or economic dislocation – is the priority.

But, I persist.

ONE DOCTOR’S STRAIGHT TALK: Emily Landon, the chief infectious disease epidemiologist at University of Chicago Medicine, took the lectern after the Illinois governor announced the state would undergo a “shelter in place” order.

“The healthy and optimistic among us will doom the vulnerable,” Landon said. She acknowledged that restrictions like a shelter-in-place may end up feeling “extreme” and “anticlimactic” — and that’s the point.

“It’s really hard to feel like you’re saving the world when you’re watching Netflix from your couch. But if we do this right, nothing happens. A successful shelter-in-place means you’re going to feel like it was all for nothing, and you’d be right: Because nothing means that nothing happened to your family. And that’s what we’re going for here.”

Landon’s comments were less than 10 minutes of the hour-long news conference, but they quickly made an impression on listeners and drew praise for their clarity and sense of empowerment while still conveying the urgency of the moment.

RELY ON GOVERNMENT SCIENTISTS: It is clear that Donald Trump has given short shrift to government scientists who have been trying, against long and tough odds, to prepare America for an epidemic. He won’t listen to them and, even if he did, he always knows best, given what he labels as his high medical acumen – though, frankly, he wouldn’t know the meaning of the word acumen.

The current situation proves beyond a shadow of doubt that we need smart people to do good work for us in government.

TELL DONALD TRUMP TO STOP TALKING: Speaking of smart people, Trump continues to prove every day that he is not one of them.

I would say to him – stop talking. Let experts guide us. Or, let smart political figures – yes, there are a few of them left – talk to us about proper preparations for the virus.

Trump proved his narcissism again yesterday when, in response to a question from an NBC reporter – essentially a softball designed to give Trump a chance to express enlightened leadership to Americans – Trump chose instead to go after the reporter.

Thus, he missed a major opportunity to reassure Americans. No surprise there. He doesn’t see opportunities and, if he did, he would have no idea about what to say to provide solace and a bit of comfort.

Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan showed up this weekend with an excellent suggestion.

To stop what she labels Trump’s self-aggrandizement, media bashing, exaggeration and outright lies: “Radical change is necessary: The cable networks and other news organizations that are taking the president’s briefings as live feeds should stop doing so.”

LOOK FOR POSITIVE STORIES AMIDST THE PROBLEMS: Even as we engage in “social distancing,” there are ways to look for good deeds.

One example. At the doctor’s office the other day, I saw that an elderly woman had come in for an appointment, but arrived on the wrong day, not to mention by taxi. She would have had to leave and return another day.

Except another woman in the waiting room stepped up and said, “I am willing to give you my appointment and I can come another time.” She had arrived in her own car, so she had options.

The appointment was changed due to the selfless actions of one person.

One other example. A business friend of mine builds and places modular structures around the region. As we talked yesterday – six feet apart – he told us he had provided several structures to hospitals in the area to use as expansions for their capacity in the face of the virus.

He also did so for free.

If you look for such good news – assuming you can leave home to do so – you are liable to find it.

KEEP RECORDS ALL ALONG TO HELP NEXT TIME, IF THERE IS A NEXT TIME: One of the lessons I learned during my career as a lobbyist was to keep better records as I handled public policy issues for clients.

I didn’t do well in that regard, so, when I wanted to reflect on the high and low points of various actions, I had to try to remember, not refer to timely notes.

So, as we try to survive with the virus, I say, keep good notes so we can learn for the future.

AND THIS FINAL QUESTION: How do we, as Oregonians comply with all the instructions provided by government officials?

Hard. Because, for one thing, the instructions lack clarity.

So, I say, work to comply with the spirit, not the letter, of the instructions. And try to do so as a good citizen concerned, not just about your and your family’s future, but also the well-being of your neighbors.