May 1st

I have not written in a while. Mainly because my mother always said, “if you can’t say anything nice, say nothing at all”. I have been very frustrated with the way thing have been. Let me give you my thinking and then you can pound sand because, this is how I feel :d

1. COVID strains have been around for a very long time. And, most people have at least one strain somewhere in their body. Which means this is nothing new. The problem comes in this is a difficult strain. From my understanding imagine a normal strep infection, this strain would be the drug resistant super bug we hear about all the time.
2. SARS and the Flu seem to be a bigger problem than COVID, they kill more people. Right? If you are a numbers person yes. If you are in healthcare, not so much. This strain this sickness, is amazingly able to take a perfectly healthy person no matter what age and knock them on a ventilator.
3. Everyone is rushing to get a vaccine so we can get back to normal. I urge caution, Slow and steady wins the race fast and rushed you break your leg, or end up killing more people. Just be careful please!!
4. COVID has killed people I love, sickened family members and scared the shit out of me. But, I have decided not to let it rule my life. I don’t want to live in fear. So I will sew me a mask and start living life outside my house.

I really hope everyone reading this is well and good.

A note about Depression

I really don’t know what your life is like, but mine is a bit complicated. I have a chemical imbalance, which makes me very weak to depression. I have to be very very careful. And, since I have this battle and I have found a few things that work for me, maybe they will work for you, while you battle Cabin Fever.

1. Exercise. I have to, HAVE to work out at least once a day, more if I can. When the world was different I used to swim, now I bounce on a ball and Ride an exercise bike.
2. Blog. The more I write on here the better I feel. I take a chance putting my thoughts out there for the world to see, but I find it very positive in my well being. Just getting it out helps. I also Journal.
3. Keep a Planner. Write down what you do so you can reflect and understand you just did not stay in your PJ’s all day.
4. Put your shoes on. Even if you don’t go anywhere. It helps with a mind set.

These are basics, let me know if you have any to add just comment below.

How do you handle a new world paradigm?

I’m not really sure, I don’t think we are at a point as a civilization to where we can adequately scope this question. We are still in the messy part where we are trying to figure out who is where, and exactly what the problems are. We know the crisis yes, but do we know anything besides that. I don’t think so. I think we are trying to get a head of it and are starting to make progress but, we have a while before we are really going to know what the time length on things are.

Myself, i’m trying to continue on with my life with as little interruption as possible. I am very glad I decided to take a semester off college. I only have three classes left and i’m glad I can worry about them next fall, rather than through this. It’s amazing how sometimes we make the right decisions and don’t even get it till a long time later.

❤

Positive Thinking

“The way we think dictates our behavior”..Pastor Richard Young said these words this morning. As soon as they were in my ears I felt like I had been hit over the head with a clue. It’s true, a very, very wonderful friend asked me, “How are you dealing with this?”. She asked because with the news comes anxiety, hate, fear and everything else, along with good information. What’s the balance. I told her I look once a day and try not to become overwhelmed. I protect my self the best I can and look for the positive things. I’m not very successful if i’m honest. But, the point is I KEEP trying . So here are my tips for trying to keep yourself from falling apart.

1. LIMIT your exposure to the news. you do NOT have to watch every news conference, read an article instead of watching so you re not swayed by the emotions that are playing out on TV
2. Find something that makes you laugh, and watch, read, enjoy it at LEAST once a day, maybe more.
3. Eat healthy, try and limit (note I said TRY) bad things, comfort foods, but seriously we all have to cope with the odd Oreo or cocktail.
4. Seek professional help. There ARE people who will help you, if you find yourself overwhelmed use Teladoc, or some equally wonderful program which will put you in touch with someone who will listen.
5. Do not cut your hair we are none of us that desperate …. yet

❤

And the world changed

While the changes in the world right now are pretty dramatic they are what we are used to, they are not new. I’m going to analyze a couple things that have happened in the world, to maybe bring someone somewhere relief.

In my memory the gas shortage in the 70’s is a vague memory. I remember my mom looking for gas and I remember things being tight. That incident at that time seemed to be earth shattering. People had to learn how to live for the next 20 years going 55 instead of 70.

In the 80’s and early 90’s the AIDS epidemic swept through and changed how people live their sexual lives. It was a very scary and fearful time. At first, we had no idea what was going on, who was affected, and honestly everyone was dying. The world changed how they donated blood, received blood, and they protected themselves a little better.

9/11, changed America for ever. We changed how we travelled becoming what we thought was safer. We are now more vigilant with our personal information.

COVID-19- The world changed again. What impacts are going to be felt are really not known right now. It’s all too new. Testing, isolation, quarantine, personal space, what do you think the impact will be? What do you think is the major change?

Regarless we WILL get through this, and honestly I only highlighted a few things from my lifetime, I did not talk polio, or smallpox or other world wide pandemics where the world changed. This post is my vain attempt to put things into perspective.

What will they say in 100 years?

What will history say about us anyway? Will they call us crazy? Full of Hysteria? I’m not so sure. I love history so I have to think, what did people but up in the past? Where there any toilet paper shortages? How about medicines? I don’t recall, so either one of two things much be true, it really was not that big of a deal, or the epidemic was what history remembers not the hysteria of those involved. I can hope right?

This is my third post in a week and, I must say i’m on a roll don’t you think? Throwing and spitting out ideas like I used to twenty years ago, if you knew me then. I always had a nieve approcah or a gullible plan. I’d like to think i’ve grown, but in all seriousness I probably have not learned much. I’m still WAY to trusting with a huge heart. But, I have learned that block and Ignore bring a real kind of peace. It took a long time to come to terms with sins of the past, and to let go of demons that have twisted me inside and out since childhood.

I would like to say that i’m better now, but i’m not. I am wiser than I used to be, and more kind. So what is my point? I think that my point would simple be this, the history books might give a bit of press to the shortages of paper and lysol, but, I don’t think that is going to be the main part. I think the main part will be how the world tried to save lives but taking themselves out of the equation. But, not going out, by staying home you are saving lives. Might be boring, and definitely scary sometimes, but there is a point. To ensure life finds a way, which it always will.

Ciao

Fast Breaking News Story

How many times in our lives have you personally witnessed this claim? It’s meant to get our notice, and well to capture our attention. But, what news story is not fast breaking? It wasn’t news then it was! Simple as that right?

I have watched the last few months as things have gone from nothing, to caution, to out right panic. Why? Because someone told you to panic. But, should you? I am not so sure. I think you should always have a few extras on hand in case of a storm, emergency, or just for a sense of security. That is just my opinion, take it as you want it. My grandparents grew up in the depression and they pushed a deep sense of holding on to things that could be repurposed and re used. Have I always done so? Nope, I have tried to minimize and, not have all the “stuff”. Now, however, I realize it’s got to be a balance.

A balance between border and minimalist, a careful tightrope of one over the other. Just enough to feel secure, but not enough to make anyone think you are stockpiling to go into business for yourself to gouge. If you want my advice, it’s simple!

Love those around you, reach out to your friends, communicate, and educate yourself on what is going around you. I’m a researcher, you cannot believe one news case that says the world is going to end. IF you want my thoughts on this, If 1 million get infected (right now it’s at 200,000), then that is less than 1% of the population. We are all working from home on furlough etc, to STOP billions from getting it, not because it’s deadly (Edit: High risk coulde deadly, i’m not saying not relax all the way). Read that last again. So please take precautions and not FREAK out. This is a responsible moment not a panic mode. Here are a few links to help you see this COVID-19 for what it is. If I see you freaking out after reading these links, I will ask you “Are you kidding me?”

CDC Map

John Hopkins

Wold Health Org