MARCH 2020: Right now, people are fluctuating somewhere between panic, dismissal and disbelief regarding Covid-19.
The panickers are depriving the rest of us of toilet paper, rice and pasta.
The dismissers are out in the parks playing frisbee and throwing game nights.
The conspiracy theorists are gathering and speaking up.
The majority of us are hunkered down and waiting, because we don’t know what’ll happen next.
The levels of fear are breaking like a tsunami from city to city, state to state, country to country.
Copycat governmental strategies attempt to ‘flatten the curve’, and occasional rogue States like the UK and Netherlands walk a slightly different path.
Most people are doing their best to abide by the rules.
Some people are loving the alone time and others are deepening in their depression.
None of us know what this is or isn’t.
We don’t know how long it’ll last. And we don’t know what the state of our societies will be on the other side. We’re swimming in an ocean of conjecture as dangerous as a pool of annoyed sharks. Drowning in the enormity and variety of media coverage from frontline healthcare workers, CDC, professors, politicians, and all of us lay people trying to figure out if we and those we love are in real danger.
Is it less than flu? Or are millions of lives at stake?
This history we’re making is still unfolding.
And if we don’t step back a little we’re also in danger of unfolding.
Because as with any process in life – any period of uncertainty – if we get too caught up in the blow-by-blow we put ourselves in danger of losing sleep, growing anxiety, and, perhaps most importantly losing access to our personal resourcefulness.
At this point, most of us know what to do.
Stay in, shop for only what you need, avoid social gatherings, call others, and wash your hands until they sparkle.
In many ways we’re waiting for this to play out.
And for those who are fiscally comfortable, that’s doable. But many are losing and are going to lose the paychecks or business income they rely on.
I’m deeply concerned about those who are physically vulnerable, especially living in places that lack a solid healthcare system – like the USA. Oh wait, no, I was thinking more along the lines of Africa, South America, Eastern Europe….
The expanding economic crisis is mind-boggling, so after washing our hands and checking on our loved ones it’s time to look at our bank accounts.
What do we have? How long will it last? And if our job is gone, how can we pivot our careers because some industries are booming right now. The money has not gone away – it’s just hanging out in a different part of town, puffing on a Cuban cigar, and wondering where we all are.
At a time when the world is coming to a standstill, we must keep walking, we must be proactive. Not only in our personal outreach but in our personal and collective creative economic thinking.
If you know you’re going to be okay, what can you give to those who aren’t going to be? Because the numbers are already jaw-dropping.
This is a time for rational and creative thinking, and action taking. If we’re drowning in fear we cut off access to the part of our brain and intuition/gut that we most need. If we put ourselves on hold, waiting for governmental approval to get moving again, there’s a chance we’ll find ourselves behind the eight-ball once this turns around.
Which it will.
I strongly believe that we must minimize our media immersion, have more conversations with those who are calm, and brainstorm how we can be of service in practical ways. Anyone looking to news reports for peace of mind is in trouble, because it’s not coming in the immediate future.
Let’s all silence our inner pseudo-scientists and fearful parts who are clamoring for certainty and safety while frightening us half to death.
Let’s all take a step back, accept the current status quo, shop for food from the little guys not the big guys, and share our toilet paper.
Because we’re going to get through this.
That’s guaranteed.
I mean, Just look at what’s possible.
It’s breathtaking.
And speaking of breathing… enjoy the air around you because the planet has forced us to give her a much needed break from a long-time human beating.
I wish all of you health, peace of mind and an easy passage through this.
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