Happy New Year! 2021! Any resolutions? I lost some of my drive and know it has been awhile since I last blogged. So, one of my resolutions is to blog more regularly. I think it is more important now to connect with others in new and creative ways. COVID-19 virus has changed all of our lives. The pandemic continues around the world. I am waiting for COVID-19 to have a name change to COVID-21.
My little town in Ontario, Canada has been in lockdown since November. Life is limited to my home and local grocery stores. Some people are so fearful and others believe it is a hoax. I know it is not a hoax, people are getting sick, elderly are dying.
This is truly a virus, however, do I believe everything I hear on mainstream media? Hell no! It feels sensationalized to create fear. It could be my analytical mind, however, I do not completely trust the numbers being reported. I have so many questions and sad to say the media is not asking them.
- Is there consistency in how they report numbers from region to region?
- What is the accuracy of the test results?
- Does the test distinguish whether the person has/had a flu virus vs COVID-19?
- How many infections are asymptomatic?
- Can they share more specifics? e.g stats on number of hospitalizations, stats on number in intensive care units and their ages
Based on some stats I receive regularly, approximately 3.5 percent tested, have test positive for COVID. I am not sure how many of the 3.5 percent were asymptomatic or sick enough to be hospitalized. I do know that since last year when we had our first lockdown, my hospital has reported 54 deaths. Listening to all the numbers reported daily is unsettling, baffling and just downright depressing. You know what they say, “bullshit baffles.” Who knows? I saw something that rang true to me; FEAR stands for “False Evidence Appearing Real” Please don’t get me wrong, COVID is a virus, it spreads and it does cause deaths. Wash hands, have common sense and no huge parties… That’s where it ends for me.
Masks? Sure I wear them but I think as long as I am 6 feet away, I should hope I am protected. I will wear a mask as it is now a requirement to go anywhere indoors. I do not think it is required when I am outside especially if we all socially distance ourselves. Thankfully there is no mandate to wear a mask outside in our area, well, not yet. Lockdowns and closing all small “non-essential” businesses? We can not live in a bubble. When our town was open, I saw small businesses being more vigilant than the big box stores.
Do I fear? Yes! I have fear about how the world is transforming! Change is hard regardless of what it is. I fear that there is no patience or understanding when people misinterpret the rules. I fear the rules imposed are creating a divide between people. I fear instead of helping your neighbour, people will rat out their neighbours. Neighbours who are confused by all the rules and confusing directions. I fear we will lose our social connections to people! I fear more people will develop “agoraphobia”! Yes that is an anxiety disorder in which you fear and avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarassed. I fear the rich and famous will have various liberties while the middle class and poor will not.
What do I miss? I miss the ability to freely jump into the car and visit friends and family. I also miss the ability to pick up the phone and arrange a lunch or even a coffee at a local restaurant or coffee shop. I miss people walking down a sidewalk beside you instead of side stepping & running into the road, thinking you are contaminated. I miss going into various shops with my girlfriends browsing and looking for great treasures. Above all I miss hugs from my close family and friends.
What do I like about all this change? I like that everything slowed down. That there is more family time…and thankful to have enough space to appreciate family time. I like that people are washing their hands and overall being more clean…well except for those disposing their masks all over the roads and parking lots. I like that although we are far away from one another, some of us are closer than ever by using technology….except when the cyber-signal drops and images freeze. Adjustments required all around.
Enough about that, what can we do in 2021 to make it the best year ever?
- Set up a regular routine
- Exercise daily even for 15 minutes a day
- Keep a journal and write down 3 things you are grateful for everyday.
- Drink water, apparently it helps us be happier
- Take free online courses
- Volunteer virtually
- Get enough sleep which sort of goes hand in hand with a regular routine
- Meditate or at least focus on the task at hand, pay attention to your breathing
- Be creative
- Smile & laugh everyday (maybe tell a joke or two or three)
Jokes:
- What is a New Year’s resolution? Something that goes in one year and out the other
- My New Year’s resolution was to drop my bad habits, but no one likes a quitter.
- What’s the easiest way to keep your New Year’s resolution to read more? Watch TV with subtitles
