In speaking to folks I’ve encountered while out walking during this shut-down, it seems that without the distraction of life as we knew it, many are taking a good look at the difference between how things were and how they could be.
Because while we’ve had this ‘virus’ spreading around the globe and affecting the vulnerable, we’ve also had a shocking halt to commerce and entertainment providing us an extraordinary opportunity to re-boot—both as individuals and a species—and wake the flock up.
Forced into a situation of non-activity, people are looking at themselves, perhaps for the first time, and seeing how they have been gulled, lured or programmed into attitudes and behaviors not at all in their best interest. They are waking up and recognizing that there is more to life than chasing a buck, and that human connection and working cooperatively toward the well-being of all has a value that cannot be bought.
People are telling me that without the distraction of society, a creative force inside them is calling to be expressed, and there is a greater appreciation for life itself.
They are also recognizing that no politician, or superhero will save the day, but that We the People have the power to create the change we want to see in the world by changing ourselves: changing our attitudes, changing our behavior, and especially, changing how we perceive and relate to each other.
So maybe this pandemic is more of a blessing than a curse, and instead of criticizing each other we can understand that what we do have in common is the desire to live a healthy, creative life, fulfilling for body and soul, and that there’s plenty to go around when we’re willing to share.