Coronativity
I found myself musing the other day about what it would look like if the Christmas story unfolded in 2020, and then chuckled to myself when imagining a “Coronativity” with Mary, Joseph, Magi, and shepherds donning masks and social distancing from one another. As I enjoyed the levity and absurdity of it, it struck me that there might be more to gain from this imagined scene than meets the (inner) eye.
I realized that as I “looked in” on that stable, some of the poignancy of the moment was lost…
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Uncommon: Common Ground
Where discourse has been weaponized
Truth cannot be discerned
Each camp feels they’re legitimized
The others should be burned
Use blaming, shaming, outright lies
Tear down the other side
The more that we dehumanize
The more we feed our pride
This cycle has been super-sized
Behind the scenes enflamed…
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A case of Pandemic Doldrums
I’ve been having a persistent case of Pandemic Doldrums, which is my “official” name for the state of emotional sluggishness if not outright depression brought on by the necessary steps for prevention of COVID-19. Wherever you find COVID, you’ll find Pandemic Doldrums (which is most everywhere.)
In most cases, the symptoms include boredom, apathy, cynicism, irritability, loneliness, depression, and increased consumption of alcohol or comfort food or other numbing/escape strategies. More severe cases are…
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The Slippery Assent
It was a sunny day, the snow cover was light, and taking a hike seemed like a great idea. After all, I had my waterproof trail shoes with ample tread. I got off to an easy start, but as the trail climbed, I realized that there were significant portions where it was quite icy under the snow. My shoe’s tread wasn’t so ample after all. Too often my step up became a net downward slide. About the time the uncertain steps were outnumbering the certain
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The Great Grief
I stare at the statistics on the screen with surreal indifference. I have to forcibly awaken myself to recognize the truth: Every number represents actual people — grandparents, parents, siblings and children. It won’t be long until nearly all of us will directly know someone who has contracted the disease, and thus it follows that far too many of us will also know someone who dies from it.
The name COVID-19 is a mash-up: COrona VIrus Disease of 2019 (when it first became known). That name is ironically innocuous for something that has silently and invisibly wreaked unprecedented global havoc. I think we would do well to identify COVID-19 by what follows in its wake: grief.
I’m sorry to predict it, but it seems that the most apt name when we look back on this time will be…
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Reminders of life as normal
COVID-19 is serious business, but in the midst of the crisis, we all need occasional reminders of life as normal. With the heinous attack from nature in the form of the coronavirus, I thought the above photo, taken by Craig Dimmick, the board chairperson of Living FORward, was an apt reminder of the beauty of this planet we live on. Thanks, Craig!
Another diversion from the prevalent anxieties can come in the form of a little light-hearted humor. I offer these three limericks in that spirit....
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I just can't handle as much any more.
I have one of those personality types that makes it fairly easy for me to consider things from multiple perspectives. I’m naturally trusting of others and typically take things at face value. When others are in conflict with each other, I can put myself in both sets of shoes and understand the conflict from each point of view. Usually, it’s pretty easy to see how most situations lend themselves to statements like, “Well, it takes two to tango.”
But when it comes to making sense of the news these days, I can’t seem to get there. I always encounter two significant challenges. First, the news is about events that are too far
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In times like these, feed your soul to start your day.
To put it mildly, this is a very unsettling season we’re all in. Your soul probably isn’t getting the nourishment it needs to stay healthy.
Well, drastic times call for simple measures.
Wait… what?
Yes, that’s right. Simple measures. With the level of uncertainty about most everything, and with the dramatic change in routine for so many of us,
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Using "Social Distancing" as an Invitation
I’m writing this at home, which is apparently the new normal for much of the world! Actually, my office is at home anyway, so it’s not new for me. What is new, is the idea of staying home for everything else, too!
The broad implementation of strategies that will limit the spread of coronavirus has lots of implications. First, of course, let’s keep reminding ourselves that any inconveniences we experience are for the purpose of slowing down the pandemic.
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