COLUMN: Things don't happen until they do

     It is so hard not to get ahead of ourselves as school closings, event cancellations and other dramatic disruptions take place throughout our upended lives these days, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

     Some things, in the sports world, we could see coming. When the NBA suspended its season March 11, I’ll bet most of us knew that stoppages in the NHL and Major League Baseball’s spring training would soon follow.

     What we maybe couldn’t have predicted was the complete cancellation of the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. The NCAA wrestling and hockey tournaments were wiped out as well, followed by the cancellation of all NCAA spring sports.

     Those are big-money events, particularly the basketball ones. That those in charge saw the COVID-19 threat as big enough to cancel March Madness is one thing that makes me think this is legit.

     More dominoes have followed. High schools across Iowa are closing for four weeks, as per Gov. Kim Reynolds’ recommendation; in Monticello the school doors won’t open until April 13 at the earliest.

     With that came the four-week suspension, announced Monday, of all extra-curricular activities, practices included, that will affect all those involved in sports, music, drama and more.

     So it becomes difficult not to look ahead, to avoid asking: What next, and for how long?

     I’m reminded of an old episode of the classic TV show “M*A*S*H*.” Radar O’Reilly is in trouble because a gun was stolen under his watch, and he fears he is destined for the stockade.

     Corporal Klinger says, “Things don’t happen until they do, you know?”

     It’s a mantra I’ve used a lot, and I’m trying especially hard to use it now.