When you see a movie about a pandemic or some big time of social upheaval, everyone on the screen is striving in some way. They are on the move. They are off on a quest to obtain food or are infiltrating the bad guys’ compound or something.
The Year of #Coronabaking
Nobody ever made a movie in which people sit at home and bake a lot and wonder what is going to happen next. (Let me know if such a movie exists; I’ll watch it while I wait for my sourdough to rise.)
At this point, your experience depends very much on where you live and your personal set of circumstances. Some people have been able to continue working at home and haven’t lost a dime in earnings, while others have lost everything and are desperate. Some people live in hard-hit areas and are ultra-cautious. Others live in areas where there have been few cases and feel invincible.
So Much #Coronahair
Most of us are cautiously stepping out of our cocoons, still wearing our masks and carrying our hand sanitizer and avoiding crowds, but beginning to do things like visit relatives we haven’t seen in months, and thinking about having about 3” of hair shorn away.
None of us knows what is coming next. As we re-open, experts are watching for hotspots, which could force us to retreat back into our cocoons.
We all have questions, and we all have uncertainty. Were you thinking of buying a house, starting a business, changing jobs, having a baby? You might want to hold back a bit, because nobody truly knows what is happening next. I don’t and you don’t. Oh, I have my theories, but no crystal ball.
I Did Not See That Coming
I certainly didn’t foresee we would also face rioting and civil unrest in the middle of a pandemic, but it’s not very surprising. We have been living atop a powder keg, and seeing someone casually murdered in bright daylight turns out to make a darned good fuse. What is true as I write this may not be true by the time you’re reading it.
It’s tough, because nobody wants to live their life in the midst of uncertainty. We like guarantees and sure things, not vague warnings about Covid-19, the economy, our political system and our social institutions.
Whatever ‘Normal’ Is
Everybody wants to get back to normal, but none of us knows what “normal” is going to look like from now on. It looks like we’re all going to have to just deal with continuing to live with uncertainty. That’s not easy, so cut yourself (and everyone else) some slack while you adjust to things. No matter what happens, kindness and understanding — for others as well as for yourself — are as necessary at this time as masks and hand sanitizer.
About the Author: Michelle Mueller Teheux is a journalist and former newspaper editor and columnist. She frequently writes about health, family and lifestyle.
Have you found living with uncertainty in the Corona age challenging? Tell us about it in the comments.
