Newsletter Vol 16 - What the Corona?
Does anyone else feel like they are living in a bit of a weird dream right now? It seems like just a few days ago we were wondering why everyone was going crazy for toilet paper and then the next thing we knew, Tom Hanks has the Coronavirus and the NBA canceled their season.
My friends and I were on a text message thread today talking about everything that is being canceled. Schools, events, soccer practices, commutes….. Suddenly our packed out schedules just opened up and we have a lot of free time on our hands. Is it terrible that I find myself feeling a tiny bit — relieved?
Don’t get me wrong. I know that lots of people are still going to get very sick. and I could be one of them. I know that the economic impact is going to be really tough on a lot of people. I work as a freelancer and I’m probably going to need to dip further into savings that I’m comfortable with over the next 30-days. I know that an event that I’ve looked forward to for months is probably going to get canceled any day now. I know that my friends who have kids at home with no activities are going to go stir crazy and their carefully planned summers might be blown up. I know that some of you are health care workers or journalists and this time is going to be more busy and stressful than ever before. (Thank you for everything you're doing!) I also know that this is causing a lot of anxiety for many people and I want to acknowledge that a lot is unknown and that is legitimate. These emails are the thoughts that go through my head ‘behind the handlebars’ and are just that - thoughts.
I heard a journalist say that during this time, we’re all going to have to take a pause and to be honest, a pause sounds really good right now. Suddenly my packed out weekends have plenty of time for exploring backroads on my bike or trails with my pup. As long as we stay healthy, ping-pong tournaments and picnics with friends that we couldn’t squeeze in suddenly have endless options on the calendar. Rather than going to another event, we just get to find ways to be together.
Ultimately we can’t stop what’s already begun** so no amount of getting frustrated or fearful or anxious will change the course of the next 1-3 months. Rather than checking the news or my twitter feed every few minutes, I’m trying to embrace the pause. To tell myself that even in this very uncertain time, I’ve been given a unique gift of slowing down. The gift of having some time to work on side projects that I’ve said I wanted to do for years, or maybe even trying to plant a garden that I don’t kill this year. Heck, I might even try out some of the recipes in that cookbook that’s been collecting dust on my shelf for the past two years. I'm answering my mom's phone calls (which are usually just to give me the latest update on the virus that CNN already delivered to my phone) and saying 'I love you' more often than I normally do because I know that she's actually the one in danger from this virus. And I don't know about your dad, but mine is really on top of his game with coronavirus related dad jokes right now. I'm giving him the chuckle and groan because I know it makes him happy.
What about you? If you can, how will you embrace the pause in this very unique season of life? For real, email me back. I want to hear and I’ve got plenty of time to read emails right now!
Sending elbow bumps and wishes for great times behind the handlebars,
Kathryn
**when I say we can’t stop what’s begun I mean that we aren’t going to keep the cancellations, closures, etc from happening. Of course, we can all be smart and proactive and do our part to contain the virus.
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