Real talk, real life

I posted this rant on Facebook and then thought I’d post it on the blog. Real talk here, real life. How many of you have seen the memes that have been circulating that say this?

BEGINNING
***If you don’t come out of the pandemic with:

A new skill
A new income
A new expertise

You never lacked time, you lacked discipline.***
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I just can’t keep my mouth shut over this.

FYI, this is complete and utter judgmental bullshit. It’s unimaginative. It tries to push onto us the performance porn that our culture prizes so highly, and to guilt-trip us if we haven’t measured up to *somebody else’s* expectation.

Many of you have children who have not been to school, and who may not be able to go to school in the fall. You have sick or elderly relatives. I, personally, know of one individual who has a disabled spouse who would die if they contracted COVID-19, so she quit her job and they are isolating and living off disability and savings.

In. Order. To. Save. His. Life.

Or maybe you are empathic and watching in horror as the world around us has seemed to catch fire with racisim and disease. Maybe you have lost your job. Maybe you have lost your job twice, now that many places are having to shut down again.

Maybe you have–and do–feel overwhelmed at trying to figure out how to meet the new challenges in your day. Maybe you’re battling depression and anxiety. There are intense new stressors we have to deal with every single day.

This reality that we’re in is isolating. It can be mentally and emotionally exhausting.

If ALL YOU DO is get enough sleep and take care of yourself, I’m proud of you. If you cook yourself healthy meals, look after your pets, find comfort in your favorite escape reads–I’m proud of you. If you’re able to take a walk and enjoy nature, if you can feel some measure of security in having a roof over your head, If you can call your loved ones, I AM PROUD OF YOU.

There’s a lot of toxic crap flying around right now. Don’t buy into it. Reach for your center, your spirituality, and if you can’t seem to locate it, reach for help. The pandemic can contribute to individual and collective trauma. Commonly observed reactions include panic, depression, hopelessness, anxiety, stress, grief, and PTSD. [Source link]

Remember, even if you might feel like it, you’re not alone.

One of my happy memories. This was a glorious sunset.

Much love,

Thea