“How are you?” In the past, this common greeting was issued with little expectation of a response beyond, perhaps, “Fine.” In the Age of COVID-19, however, “Fine,” may, indeed, be what you hear (Americans tend to value high-energy, happy feelings), but there’s probably a “relatively speaking” behind the answer.
In truth, I am actually feeling OK right now…relatively speaking! Lol! The first week of self-isolation was hard for me. Reports of infection and death were rising; the stock market was free-falling; social-distancing advice was all over the place; and our leaders were seemingly non-existent. Everything was out of [my] control.
In 2017, my husband and I moved away from our beautiful home outside of Seattle, in part, to escape the threat of earthquakes. It was primarily my fear, but it was strong enough that, when we were weighing options for retirement, freedom from natural disaster topped the list.
I grew up in the Midwest, so tornadoes were always a possibility, but at least you could plan for them. Almost everyone had a basement, and there was a system to warn people when one was likely. With earthquakes, it’s different. While there are some Early Warning Systems in place, including one in the US, we’re only talking seconds or tens of seconds to prepare.
And, while tornadoes can affect large areas, help is usually only a few hours away. With earthquakes, it could be months before help arrives—especially if you live on an island, accessible only be ferry, at the end of a mile-long dirt road, as we did in Seattle. That, to say the least, was unsettling (no pun intended).
My two disaster kits—one outfitted with a lid that doubled as an emergency toilet seat!—did little to assuage my fears. BUT, at least I had some kind-of plan if the worst were to happen.
Two weeks ago, I had nothing, and that was terrifying. I remember trying to do yoga online that Thursday morning. I figured, if anyone could settle my nerves, it would be my beloved yoga teacher, Paige Gilchrist*. But even she wasn’t enough to sooth my soul that day, perhaps because the class, itself, was so different. It was delivered via Zoom; my “home studio” was cramped and prop-less; there was no music; and, understandably, even Paige seemed a bit stressed (though I was amazed at how well she hid it!).
Yes, the first week in the new normal was tough, but, fortunately, it got easier after that, in part because, I hate to say it, I gradually became more desensitized to daily reports of illness, death, and economic decline.
More importantly, though, one-by-one, people in power began to take charge. (Granted, it wasn’t the person who SHOULD have stepped up, but I’m not going there in this blog.) Though these courageous people didn’t have all, or even, much information, they told us what they knew—and didn’t know—and did their best to put a plan in place. They had my back, and that’s what I needed to hear. My future was no longer completely out of control.
Now that I had a better sense of the new normal, I stopped fighting it, accepted its limitations, and figured out how to work within it. I actually took comfort in being told what I should, and, eventually, could and couldn’t do.
My new heroes also gave me hope. They reminded me that, this, too, shall pass. We’d seen the crisis end in China, and, eventually, we’d see it end in the US as well.
If you’re still really struggling, I encourage you to consider my strategy for dealing with the situation:
- Limit “doom surfing” to once or twice a day—and never right before bed
- Know that lots of smart people are working around the clock to mitigate loss; listen to what they advise and follow their recommendations to the best of your ability
- Accept the things you cannot change and change the things you can (yes, I know I’m paraphrasing here)
- Never give up hope
I have little doubt that things will be different when this is over, but different doesn’t necessarily mean worse. Change always ushers in good stuff, too!
As I said, I’m doing pretty well now. In addition to following my own advice, I stick to my normal routines as much as possible. And, yes, contrary to many folks I’ve spoken with, I still shower and get dressed every morning—and you probably should, too!
While Purple Crayon’s physical location is technically closed, we’re holding our creativity circles online, and, starting this month, we’re going to be offering a few online workshops. The first is a series of Zentangle® classes that Certified Zentangle® Teacher Susan Goodman will be teaching from her home studio. The other is a writing course that PC is offering in partnership with Writing From The Top Of Your Head. I hope you’ll consider playing with us for a couple of hours a week while the storm passes. Your soul will thank you for it.
I look forward to creating with you!
—Pam Robbins, Owner
*If you could use a little “light and love,” I encourage you to check out Asheville Yoga Center’s Live Stream Classes, and Paige Gilchrist’s classes in particular. Paige teaches Restorative Yoga on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 10:00-11:15 AM. All are welcome to register—and, because classes are being taught online now, you don’t have to be local to participate!
