A moment in time...

As the languishing effects of COVID -19 continue, one of the habits I had fallen into was not blogging on a regular basis. The excuses, and there are many, would come easily but none would serve any real purpose if I wanted to change the situation. So my plan is to go into my file of half finished blogs and thoughts, figuratively dust them off, and change the habit from not blogging to blogging. I found this start to a blog from October 2020

Well here we are — Halloween. Or was that a month ago.

And then just a push to the middle of November, and as they say it will be a hop skip and a jump to Christmas; then ringing in the New Year — 2021. Spring is just a heart beat away (crocuses in the lawn); I believe it’s then the celebration of the Queen’s birthday* and couple of birthdays to celebrate the formation of sovereign states. And then, wait for it… tic toc… wait for it…. the availability of a COVID-19 vaccine — a logistical nightmare unto itself; but everything is then, finally back to normal.

Tic toc; tic toc.

I look back on what I do and it’s been months since I have written anything for myself — buried in work is my excuse and of course a pandemic; damn that SARS-CoV-2. A convenient excuse I suppose. What I call the sameness of the COVID-19. Was that yesterday or last month?

…

Six months later I still remember starting this commentary on COVID-19 and why I abandoned it. I was concerned that my previous blogs had been on the same topic and I was moving away from the tenets that ground what I write about. It is also quite possible I never meant to publish this and it was simply cathartic writing to help on my journey through the pandemic (although in the end it doesn’t really matter). I don’t have any interest in unpacking what I thought six months ago. What’s important to realize at this point is that, although we are far from having this pandemic under control, we do have vaccines, effective treatments and a global community that continues to work hard to put this behind us.

Tic toc; tic toc

This pandemic will come to an end, and if you listen to the pundits, there will be an over zealous desire to celebrate like they did in the roaring 20’s. Whether you raise a glass or review the history books, this pandemic will be a moment in time to seriously reflect on and ask yourself what you learned and what you would have done differently. Everything is a learning opportunity and knowledge does make everything a little easier — particularly in the tough times.

I’m not sure if this has satisfied anything other than me being able to say I wrote a blog (which is definitely better than saying I did not write a blog). What it has reinforced though is that action is better than non-action, and that definitely satisfies one of my tenets.

Because remember, and COVID has confused this concept, there is only so much time to get things done.

Tic toc; tic toc

iamgpe

*in Canada on May 24th we celebrate Queen Victoria’s Birthday (most likely pandemic style)

Moments — "Preparedness in life or the lack there of..."

It’s not that I ever really run out of ideas for blog topics but sometimes what I have in the proverbial “hopper” seem a little stale so every so often I fish for ideas, and the waters are always plentiful.

And on my hook this time… “Preparedness in life or the lack there of…”

Something born out of Covid 19 I suspect, and most likely a reflection of dealing with what we like to affectionately call the new normal, or in other words trying to understand a deadly new virus while dealing with interrupted employment, children at home, operating in isolation, having your support groups operate from a distance, and only just now, not having to worry about a reliable toilet paper supply chain.

These seven words make for a huge topic, and where to start? Are we talking about building good foundations, or managing through crisis, or dealing with change and adaption, or dealing with emotion, or simply all of it? In situations like this, when the topic is huge, I always go to my “sayings” file and see what I’ve squirrelled away for motivation.

And the waters are always plentiful when it comes to pithy sayings.

Like this one for example:

Next time you’re stressed, take a step back, inhale and laugh. Remember who you are and why you are here. You’re never given anything in this would that you can’t handle. Be strong, be flexible. love yourself and love others. Always remember — Just Keep Moving Forward. (Unknown)

And this one

Your journey has molded you for your greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don’t think that you have lost time. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time. (Asha Tyson)

I suppose Life is an odyssey we are never totally prepared for and we need to confront situations that come our way with a knowing and a confidence that we can work through whatever is in front of us. Strength, flexibility, determination and kindness are our guides, and we are greater for it.

There you have it.

Pithy quotes are the answer to almost everything.

iamgpe

PS — Someone really did send me this blog suggestion, and I am thankful for it because I really needed some pithy quotes right about now.

And now you know...

There is a question that we ask ourselves every so often, particularly when we are being reflective — “How will I do when the situation gets difficult?” Or as people who put memes together like to say, “when the going gets tough”.

Say for example a novel coronavirus has entered the human population and quickly rises to the status of a pandemic; as a result measures have been put in place to minimize transmission and reduce the deaths that come with this sort of thing. Only essential services are available, only essential travel is advised, and social distancing and isolation are recommended, and where resolution has gone from weeks to months. Health, economic wellbeing and our social fabric, all under threat.

I suppose you could characterize this as one of those times.

I am 99.5 % certain there is a list of some sort that outlines the optimal way to act (and what to do) when crisis hits, and 100% certain everyone has an opinion on this. I would also suggest that most people would say they are handling the situation fairly well — sure it would be nice to go to a restaurant or take in “a ball game” but other than that I’m on top of it. After all, we have to be the hero in our own story don’t we?

The one consideration I believe is imperative regarding our story is to honestly reflect on the situation and how we are making our way through these rough waters. Can you honestly say, with a critical eye, that you’re asking yourself how you are doing?

It is in this question you know how you will handle the situation when the going gets tough. It is by asking this question that you know you can handle the situation when the going gets tough. It’s in this reflection you will identify what you like (and what you don’t like) about how you are handling everything. It is in this tally that you will find insights into successfully adapting to the situation and ultimately progress to the time when Covid 19 is just a story shared across the dinner table.

And don’t you want your story to be colourful?

iamgpe

PS — as part of my own reflection I have found I am spending too much time waiting; waiting for the statistics on confirmed cases; waiting to see if we are flatting the curve; waiting for this to be over. Waiting is not a particularly good story, although it does allow me the opportunity to switch gears and do other things more productive, and colourful.

PPS — Dr Suess was right about the waiting place. (Oh, The Places You’ll Go!")