We can all agree that the last two years have had an impact on all of us to various degrees. We’ve all looked for guidance from our leaders to our family and our best friends on how to navigate this new world and the changes it brings. We’ve felt helpless at times, and strong at other times. Highs and lows, like a storm.
We’ve all made decisions, be it right or wrong, that felt right at the time. Some of us, just know deep inside, this is how it is supposed to be. We are all amazing beings and creatures. We need to listen to our own spirits. That is what differentiates us from the animal kingdom. Use your own super power for good!
Some of you lost someone you knew or loved. Others lost friends, or family members not from the sickness, but from the choices you made because others didn’t agree with. A divide was born. A divide that kept on growing each day, as we all looked for the ways to reinforce the decisions we’ve made. A divide so large today, it may be on the brink of something much bigger and uglier.
But we have to wake up and realize that we don’t live in a digital world, as much as our technology has conditioned us. The lockdowns and restrictions didn’t help, they locked us in using digital only. But we’re not made of 1’s and 0’s, we are much more than that. More complex, more amazing. We live in an analog world (for now, I’m looking at you Meta-verse) where there are an infinite number of outcomes. None of them are right or wrong, but all are simply in the eyes of the beholder at that time. Do what makes you sleep at night. No one else lives your life. No one else will feel your regrets. Leave the others to their own choices and destiny. Something right for you, may not be right for me, yet, you are entitled to your choices - and I’m willing to fight for that. I respect you. Go for it!! Don’t ask me to agree with it, but I will give you the respect you deserve.
Not everyone has a buddy to rely on (like these two in the picture). Someone to express their fear, anger, anxiety. These analog and raw emotions get buried deep, until it’s too much to handle. They are much more than emojis on a screen. So, the ugliness comes out, and what better platform than an online media with thousands of eyeballs to share these feelings, trying to be validated in our fears and anxiety. We look for that shot of endorphins. It feels good. You feel superior to the other person for some time. That makes you and me at times a bully, or a troll.
The one thing we don’t talk about, is the mental toll these two years have brought on people. I don’t know your situation, you may still be trying to figure it out yourself. You may have lost your job, had a baby, teenagers going to college, moved somewhere new, bills stacking up, and other personal challenges. You have changed. We have all changed to some degree. Some of the changes may appear subtle to you, but are vastly apparent to others. It’s time to do a self checkup and re-assess.
I often send personal messages to people. We can disagree on a lot, but do share a humanness that keeps us connected. I like your point of views, it keeps me balanced, unless you spew nonsense (to which I will gladly play along your game).
Having moved here before the pandemic was a blessing for us. While we planned most of what we are doing for years, we had to fast forward most of it. So many things to figure out in very little time. So many animals to take care of. I wasn’t prepared to lose one suddenly and it affects one’s soul. But all in all, we are lucky to be able to isolate, disconnect from the digital world and connect with nature. Nature has so much to offer, things that we cannot see, but only feel. So much is lost with today’s society. For many this would be added stress. For us, it has been an outlet of creativity faced with a “bring it on” attitude.
Your situation may be vastly different. I do believe some of you, may feel the same as you did prior all these events. But I can tell you, you are not.
I think this has been quite evident by recent utterances shared by some folks. I feel for you. Really, I do. I try to balance my responses to be civil, but the same respect isn’t displayed back, actually it is the opposite. It makes it difficult to engage. I can only attribute this to high mental stress because the words are so disconnected with the reality that surrounds us. There are probably several medical diagnosis for this, but this isn’t my field of expertise by far. I won’t venture to guess, but do feel something is off by a bit... quite a bit.
All I can add is go find a buddy. Find someone you can trust. Find that rock that can rest your back on. We found a lot of them here (y’all know who you are), and left quite a few back
where we came from. These past two years have even brought me closer to my parents than ever before, and I’m grateful for it.
Please talk to each other don’t shout. Please relax, don’t stress. Please take care of yourself and take care of others, the way you would like them to care for you. Connect back with nature on many levels.
Be like them. They are animals, but know how to behave in the wild.