We’re many months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and my country in particular is failing wildly in containing its spread. Humans are bad at things like statistics and understanding risk, and Americans—who have been acculturated to value “rugged individualism” (ugh)—are additionally bad at doing things for the greater good at the cost of individual convenience. So it both feels like it’s already been going on forever and appears like it will continue… forever.

At moments like these I really wish the Doctor would pop in to visit me and give me some encouraging words. I mean, according to the adventures we’ve been privy to, humanity makes it long-term. We expand out among the stars (like a virus… wait—bad analogy), having clearly made it through some terrible stuff on our home planet. Surely we’ll make it through this, too.

But the details just might do me in. I mean sure, humanity might survive, but at what cost? And that doesn’t mean that any particular state or institution (looking at you, US of A) will survive this Moment. While it may be true that “Darkness never sustains,” it can still last a helluva long time. What will we all have to survive to get through this?

I suppose my best bet would be to ask the Doctor if this is considered a “fixed point in time.” (We could argue till we’re blue in the face about whether or not such a thing really exists, whether the Doctor was fooling or being fooled when he started touting the idea to his friends, and whether it’s worth the risk to the universe as a whole to try to break that kind of “law of time,” but for now let’s just pretend it works as advertised.) I’d be willing to bet that it’s not.

So what do we do with that? I think we have to do our utmost to use the fluidity of time to our advantage. The choices we make now will affect the shape of days to come. Remember the trope of time travelers going back to fix stuff? It’s our turn right now to fix the future.

I know it’s hard to see how an individual can do something impactful (and The Powers That Be like it that way—it helps them remain TPTB). It would be so nice if the Doctor would just vworp in, drop a few words in just the right place—if not the ear of Harriet Jones’s aide, then perhaps some influential party members (“Don’t you think he looks tired weak?”)—and get the ball rolling. But consider the famous “butterfly effect.” Even small actions can have wide-reaching effect.

So wear a mask, wash your hands, use what privilege you have to stand up for those who have less, add your voice to those calling for change, talk to your friends and loved ones about why all these things are important and ask them to join in, contact your elected officials—just do something. Flap your little butterfly wings for all they’re worth. Let’s do the Doctor proud.