Chapter 258

“Anyone with any degree of mental toughness ought to be able to exist without the things they like most for a few months at least,” Georgia O’Keeffe

Now in the COVID-19 crisis, we are finding out that lots of people are really struggling with this one. They are finding out that they can’t manage well at all in a world where restaurants, hotels, and bars are closed without sports! All first world problems I promise you. And then their jobs changed, some lost their jobs, others moved work home with their kids who are off from school now too. And this just keeps adding up for most folks, and on top of that, we had tornadoes come through on Easter Sunday and then were reminded  what its like to not have electricity for hours (some people for days) compounding the existing challenges.

People just want things to go back to the way that they were pre-coronoavirus, but things never will. Maybe some of it will come back, but much of the things we (evidently) treasured are irrevocably gone. My current neighbors here in Georgia responded to this stress by buying more ammunition for their guns?? A run on ammo? Seriously? 

That does not sound like a degree of mental toughness to me. That response does not evoke images of grit or resilience, but rather of fear and anger. This is what is most disappointing during this entire worldwide event, other than the deaths - that people are not responding with compassion, generosity, grit, can-do-ism, that wonderful independent spirit that is the history of this country, but rather fear and more fear and anger and blame and helplessness.

Which world do you want to live in?

Be that person.