YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS - Brittlestar’s Weekly Newsletter - Issue #6
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YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS
I was remarking to someone the other day that I don’t think people fully realize that we’re in a full-scale global event.
Different from, but similar to a world war. Yes, yes… I know. We’re obviously not being shot at or blown up (most of us at least, thankfully) but make no mistake a global pandemic is a big deal.
Even those of us that are taking the pandemic seriously have been trying to pretend we’re fine getting through it. Like it’s a nuisance we’re going to just have to get used to for the time being. Like butter not being as spreadable these days for some reason that I don’t really care enough to find out about currently.
Sure, life goes on and we all need to keep swimming but I don’t think we’re cutting ourselves enough slack.
This pandemic and its protocols and lockdowns have taken a serious toll on more than our economy. It’s certainly made me more… and I can’t believe I’m coining this term… stoically-fragile.
I get up and I try to get on with it. You know, stoically.
Then every few weeks I crumble into a mental pit for a day or two because something that at any other time wouldn’t have affected me, does. You know, fragile.
We need to pull back and recognize that we’re being stretched by this pandemic. The virus has been staging a full-scale assault on the very streets that we live. Every day we’re checking the news with one eye closed to somehow lessen the bad news.
Don’t doubt it. This pandemic is a thing. Even if you take it seriously.
It’s taking a massive toll.
And I’m not referring to living in fear. We all live in fear all the time to varying degrees for a multitude of reasons.
However, this pandemic has us living in a constant guarded state. We’re constantly evaluating every environment we enter. Like walking into the kids’ playroom after a major Lego session… in bare feet. We’re on full alert and our senses are heightened and there will be no rest until the Lego is cleaned up.
And we’ve been navigating this Lego minefield for a year now. While some idiots keep taking Lego out of the box and throwing it on the ground.
It’s exhausting.
So, force yourself to spend some time on you. This is your life. This is it. If you can do something to make it more enjoyable/tolerable/survivable for you… within reason, do it.
It might not be as sexy (in a fictionalized movie sense), but make no mistake, this pandemic will be part of our war stories.
We’re living through a time that people in the future will bring up in conversation in a “thank god we didn’t have to live through that” way.
Some of those future people might also say how they just couldn’t have gotten through it. But they would have.
And so will you and I.
Keep going. Home stretch.
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