“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”
William Arthur Ward
We have before us one of those moments in history where we face a great upheaval. Often such times are defined by war, ours results from evolution—a mutated virus.
Now in such times we have a choice. We can bemoan the social distancing and shelter-in-place measures necessary to limit the spread of the virus, or we can look for the opportunities within. Wailing and gnashing of teeth about how difficult this is does little to salve our discontent. Crying about the unfairness is a waste of effort. Ignoring the measures out of a selfish sense of inverted priorities is to threaten family, friends, and the whole of the nation.
As a wise woman was fond of saying, “Life’s not Fair.” That wise woman was my mother and I know, were she alive today, if confronted with someone complaining about the situation would tell them to “get over it and stop acting like a two-year-old.”
Instead of focusing on what you can’t do, focus on the fact you have an opportunity—and the time — to do things that often get left aside in our 7X24 connected world.
Write a letter to a friend, relative, or perhaps a person in the service serving their country in a far-off place unable to be here with their family.
Read a book. Read a book to someone, even if they are far away, put Facetime or some other modern form of communication to a good use.
Take a class on-line.
Visit a zoo thru the wonders of webcams.
Go for a walk (if you can do so without coming closer the 6 feet from others)
Write that great American Novel everyone seems to want to do.
Listen to music. Really listen to music, not as background to your day, but to recapture the essence of why music “has charms to soothe the savage breast.” I find in moments of difficulties listening to the music of my youth is a tonic for the soul.
Write a song, write a poem, list the things you will do when the world recovers. And then do them when the opportunity arises.
Sit outside and look for shapes in the clouds.
Write a diary of these moments so, decades from now, you can remember the things you did and how you overcame any tendency to whine and complain.
Free your mind. Now is the time to awaken or reawaken the magic of imagination, of all things in this universe, it has no limit.
Stay well, stay in, stay safe. This too shall pass.
Nice! Joe don’t know if you remember me but I was a young reporter at the East Providence Post. You were so kind to me! Congratulations on your writing career! Well done!
Of course I remember you, Nancy. How are you?
I’m well! Married with two boys… 18 and 21! How’d that happen! Working as A special needs TA in Barrington. Was going to go to your book signing before this all happened!
Time does fly. My daughter is 31, married, and an attorney for Liberty Mutual. We will be rescheduling book signings and other events that I will post on Facebook and other sites. Would love to have you stop by. If you’d like signed copies I’d be happy to send them to you.