News Alert! We are the media and for the next several months nothing, absolutely nothing is going to happen. So, we’ll just report on the Corona Virus. Don’t worry, we’ll let you know how awful things are – and often. In fact, every minute. Of course, we will break in on this must see TV, wall-to wall coverage to make sure you know how many people die. And as a bonus, we’ll set up in front of HEB and report how long the lines are at 6:00 am just to buy groceries to survive – even though there were no shortages (until people starting hoarding because of our reporting). We LOVE filming empty shelves and people fighting each other over toilet paper. Better stock up! You can never have enough toilet paper! We got this. Don’t you worry, viewer.
And you wonder why people are going stir crazy…
I talk to people all the time about this. People are scared. People are frightened. People are confused. People are misinformed. People are tense. This is not easy. And it is confusing. We’re not used to this. And we shouldn’t be.
Here’s what I see. I see beautiful roses and a Zen frog. Not sure how he got there, but he’s pretty cool. I see people I’ve never seen before walking their dogs. I see people walking with their kids, sometimes kids and dogs together. Dogs are people too. I even saw a young couple holding hands, remembering what it’s like to take an outside stroll, remembering how in love they are.
I see people delivering meals to the elderly and infirm, who are in quarantine. I see people buying up inventory that they definitely don’t need from Houston Rodeo vendors who had their livelihoods taken from them with the cancellation of the rodeo. I’m seeing people order take out from their favorite restaurants and leaving huge tips, just to keep them afloat until we reach normal again. I’m seeing people go work with and rescue shelter dogs because they finally have the time. I see people working to reopen a 65-year-old Texas summer camp, just for children from Gold Star families. That’s what I choose to see and focus on.
My grandfather once told me during The Great Depression that he refused to participate. He said he just went to work every day and by the time he knew it, The Depression was over. He called me boy. Sometimes I thought he did that because he forgot my name. But now I’ve come to realize he called me boy because he was so old, to him I appeared to be a boy, even though I was in my 30’s at the time. You can learn a lot from seasoned citizens, if you listen.
I don’t like this Corona Virus stuff at all. I don’t like having the Houston Rodeo cancelled for the first time ever. I don’t like having our government practically shut down the U.S. economy. And I worry like hell for everyone trying to feed their families, just trying to survive.
But you know what? I’m going to take my grandfather’s advice. I refuse to participate. I’m going to keep my head down, go to work, and focus on anything and everything positive. Just like this morning when I was loading up the girls (my dogs) in the truck to go to work. I was feeling kind of down and negative. But when I walked past these roses, I was reminded of everything beautiful. Right in front of me. Sometimes I think it’s so easy, and really, human nature to ignore all of the beautiful, wonderful things staring you in the face, while solely focusing on the negative. I will not participate. Neither should you. So, stop it. Turn off the damn TV and stop watching and listening to 24 hour news coverage of the negative Corona Virus. There are great things out there. Find them. Focus on them.
In a time where everything we can imagine has been canceled, or postponed, it is important to focus on what endures. Tomorrow is not canceled. Hope is not canceled. Laughter is not canceled. Love is not canceled. My friend, Robin French, wrote this, just as I was writing this blog. I guess great minds think alike. BTW, if you don’t already have a soulmate, a human soulmate, she’s you’re gal at finding one for you.
I always joke about social distancing. It amuses me. And I probably will continue to joke about it. Because I’m entertained rather easily. And Lord knows, we need to do a lot of self-entertaining right now. What that means is up to you – trying not to visualize.
But this too shall pass. Will you participate? I’m not. Neither should you. See ya on the other side.
