Most of us have never lived through anything like this before. We may have witness pandemics from afar but, now in our own back yard and worldwide in such a short span of time, a whole new picture is emerging before us. But even more stunning is… Out of all the achievements of our time, our time will be remembered for this crisis. It will put us on the list of catastrophic events that may well define our age; and how we respond to the call of the day will create our history or legacy.
There is no frame of reference for us to consult, no protocol, no area of expertise that can — with certainty — discuss or forecast our future. Yes, there are models and predictions, past history events to refer to, but no one really knows or has “the answer.” Even if a vaccine is created in a year from now, this crisis will be the zeitgeist that will steal our time and drive our hearts and minds into places we never dreamed. So, until the time comes when a vaccine can provide protection, this is it! We need to improvise and do it in a big way.
What would Teddy Roosevelt do in a time such as this? His cousin Franklin? Eleanor? What would our grandmother’s do? My husband is always teasing me for my lack of knowledge about specific events in our history… He teases me and quizzes me on dates and moments in history that were pivotal to each time period in history, but not for me. Pivotal to our country’s history, but not for me, now. The suffragette’s movement, pivotal for women then, but that’s done. And now what? Well… I am afraid that our “me-now” moment has come, and it is our turn to define it.
But how, and who do we look to? Where, who, what is that voice of reason and wisdom that will guide us? Our leaders of the day have failed us in a colossal way! Splintered and mired in their own solipsistic politicking… “We the people” of the America are left to fend for ourselves. And that we must do, just like in times before, we will do…Or will we?
Our Society is so fractured from all the infighting and protesting and prognosticating…Our belief system in this country (democratic values)have never been so challenged by so many confilicting interests in recent history in such a public and crisis oriented way.
We know a lot about how to cure disease and so forth, but this virus, we are told is novel.
If you scour the internet and do all the research possible to arm yourself with information, it will not help as much as coming together as a community will help. Coming together in a new way is our only chance to move through this crisis with minimum damage and maximum results.
It is time to look after each other, develop new ways of communicating with out contact and to have a vision for ourselves and how we want to self-govern for living through this crisis. By self-governing I mean coming up with community strategies for thriving, in spite of our limited access to people, places and things. For some, it will be conducting business as usual in a new way, for others it will be to work from home. For others to sit in meditation or prayer. For most, unemployed, and lack of a living wage, it will be abject poverty and desperation. Regardless of your circumstance or strategy, one thing is certain, we must live in-care for each other, in safety and harmony.
The world as we knew it is gone. Things may get back to a new normal eventually, but plan for 6 month to 3 years of interruption, caution and possible losses of someone you know or family.
My mother is in a Senior Home outside of Philadelphia that is on LOCKDOWN. Prior to her going there, she was here with me in Central Pa. at a memory care unit for 6 months. I am so thrilled that I got to spend time with her every day. My mother is 97 and has Alzheimer’s disease. She is separated from all that she knows and remembers very little. The facility she is in now has lost many seniors to COVID so far. I know that I may never see her again.
Take time during this time. When all we have is time, to cherish your loved ones, use it wisely.
Harnessing the Power of Community in a New Way…
It’s going to get bad out there. People have lost jobs, work opportunities, and are without the proper funds to run their day to day lives. Some might look to beg, borrow and steal… If we are prepared with community resources, we can interrupt any social disharmony by redirecting those in need to what they might need.
It is a time to stay at home, take stock and take care.
To be with family and friends but not in the usual sense.
Create an email chain, a phone chain, or Facebook group.
Call people at random who you know might be alone without resources.
Identify a small group of key people in your community who are still out and about to look about and keep watch in your community for unusual activity.
Adopt someone who you know is in crisis. A senior separated from family, a young family in need of food, a young single someone who has no security net, job or rent payment. You can do this be pooling funds with friends and family. Creating communal chains might be our best strategy for creating community and prevention of civil unrest. For, for us to get back, we must protect someone else’s back who might not be as fortunate.
Have telephone #s of resources in your community, churches, food banks, shelters.
Most of all BE KIND. Refrain from judging others for what they might not have. WE NEED COMMUNITY MORE THAN EVER!
Note:
I wrote the article above back when the pandemic began…Sometime in March-April. I thought it might be worth sharing due to the fact that our democracy has just been salvaged by those honorable enough in our government who remembered that their duty is to uphold our constitution, not hold up our constitution by some demented, narcissistic sociopath.
We came very close to a disastrous situation from which communities were splintered and enraged; almost to a place of no return. I am still of the mind that the leaders in our government failed us in a colossal way. I hope that the new administration will take action for reshaping the national conversation, creating calm and unity and hold those accountable who caused our society to fracture and this Pandemic to ravage our nation and its people. The previous president, who i shall not name, should be tried for treason and crimes against its people. He and his enablers, their callousness, deliberate lies and traitorous actions to overturn our election while ignoring one of the greatest health crises in a century, should be banished from office forever.
I slept peacefully last night for the first time in many months. The energy in our country has already shifted. Those who were duped by the derisiveness of of the past several months and years… I pray they find their way back to join us in healing our nation together.
