I left the house today. I went out for roughly 20 minutes to help my mom at her other house. On the way home I saw this girl walking on the street. She was wearing a long flowing black skirt, combat boots and a mask, and I thought, damn. She looks like an extra from Mad Max, or some other post-apocalyptic world.
I’m being dramatic, but not really. I’ve talked to several people recently who echoed this general feeling I have of low grade surreality. It’s kind of like we’ve been dropped into a movie. Seeing everyone walking around wearing masks and gloves, the empty shelves in stores, the lines in others. The continuous, almost matter of fact reporting of new corona-virus related deaths.
What really hit me was the text messages calling on any healthcare workers to report in for work. That air raid like sound that accompanied it was like, whoah. This is so real.
Of course, it’s not all bad. If you know where to look, you can find tales of people recovering from COVID-19. They’re full of upbeat advice on which health aides to buy, and which vitamins to take to boost your immune system. All over social media people are busy-ing themselves with Tik Tok challenges and short slice of life comedic moments.
I’ve never seen so many messy buns on the ‘Gram and makeup free faces on webinars. Women I’ve never seen without a full beat are natural beauty-ing it up as they share video conference wig tutorials. See, they’re having to call for help now that access to their glam squads has been cut off.
On a personal note, I think I’ve lost weight. My skin is entirely bump free, and I’m sleeping like a log. I’m also eerily calm. I feel — watchful. Does that make sense? I imagine many of you can relate. I’m moving through my daily business with as many good vibes as I can muster. Grateful I have paying work, and that my family is okay. But I still feel like I’m waiting. I’m not sure for what though.
I take that back. Occasionally I’m waiting for the internet, which has adopted annoying, dialup-like traits in the afternoons.
Slow internet aside, I insist on treating most of the first world worries that nibble at my consciousness like the coronavirus: Please give me six socially distanced feet. Better yet, make it 50. No one here is interested in any foolishness, thank you. We’re too busy trying to live, and prep, and sustain so we can come out the other side of this thing with our wallets and wigs intact.
Unlike many, I’m not bored. I have way too much stuff to do in my house, even when I run through all of my work emails. I give serious side eye when adults say, “I’m bored.”
I immediately start to ask questions: Is your house clean? Are your clothes clean and organized? What about the inside of your car? Is it clean? What about your finances? Is your budget up to date? Did you exercise today? Take your vitamins? If there are too many no’s, I think, you’re not bored. You’re unmotivated, or lazy, take your pick. I occasionally subscribe to both.
But after it’s all said and done, I think the more self-aware of us will be in a better place spiritually, emotionally, and hopefully, physically. I walked more than 16,000 steps yesterday. Haven’t done that in, hmm. Maybe never.
It’s like those articles I’ve been seeing about animals roaming freely in metropolitan areas now that most people are posted up at home. Just as they are capitalizing on this chance at a bother-less freedom, we too have an opportunity —to reassess, consider, think, focus.
Nature has forced us to reclaim some old ways, good ways. Talking to people, being cordial, communication is huge in the age of the coronavirus. I even checked on my handyman earlier today. I don’t check on people unless they’re damn near declared missing. Mr. Bowen is doing fine, by the way.
It’s wild. But I’m in a really good spot. I have the luxury of time free from worry to consider what state I’ll be in when this is all over. I’m blessed because when that time comes, if I continue as I have been, I may actually be better in a lot of ways. My heart thumps for those who can’t say the same.
Stay healthy, y’all.
Kellye Media 
In my youth, I learned from my parents (good advice) to live and let live. In other words, don’t concern yourselves with what other people are doing. Take care of your responsibilities, goals, and daily living. This is good advice. But I don’t think they ever realized what was happening behind closed doors. They didn’t see the puppet masters pulling the strings.
In my youth, without realizing it, I was aware of things amiss. Back then, schools were still state-ran, so more locally responsive. The only real propaganda I remember was not littering to save the world, for I knew then, we could not destroy this planet. I did realize pollution was not good. It looks terrible, isn’t doing anyone any good, and is of the lazy. That’s why we have dumps, which while working for a zoo, I visited many a time. And we should protect ground water, not to mention the air and such. But globally? Never.
But as I got older, I pondered on how so many went “along” with lines of beliefs. It stumped me. Why, if another individual, whom I could see their point, did the “group” ignore or refuse to listen? With time, as I was a very naïve child/teen, I realized the clique mentality. Though I still don’t get it as I could never be part of any clique. Actually, that’s not completely true. While with a group of teens for a few years, I remember having a little bit of that mentality. The thing was, I could “see” it, realized what it was, and realized I couldn’t be that way.
One thing I learned to do: never completely agree with any news source. Listen. Research. Read between the lines. Think for yourself (Which research, life experience, and time will help with this.). With time, you’ll realize there are a lot of common sense people out there, who do think for themselves, but a ton of people who are the blind following the blind, straight over the cliff. It still amazes me. But, I guess, those who do “see” have the responsibility to share with others, getting them to think for themselves. **Yes, we all think. But most don’t realize their thinking is conditioned. That something has been placed over their eyes. Don’t go along to get along. Well, in work you should. And you don’t always have to orate. Often, you can just keep your understanding to yourself, then share with those who will listen. Wisdom.
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