Today feels pivotal to me in a positive way. The tenth week of the “New Normal” comes to an end today. I am proud to be a Texan; Texas is a state where people are reclaiming their lives, and they are doing so with the full support of their governor’s office.
We unpacked our last moving box yesterday, and I find the timing of this to be fitting. I feel like a new chapter of our lives is beginning. I joked with a coworker today that is building a house, and now in the process of packing, I said, “If I ever meet someone, I hope they want to live in a little house built in 1974 because I do not ever want to move again.” I feel so at home here; a feeling that I have never any where else before.
I feel a sense of inner peace here; a sense of inner peace in a time of a slow recovery from the “New Normal”.
I have decided to start a new blog series tomorrow with the mindset of recovery from the aftermath of the shutdown of the Corona Virus., aka the “New Normal”. I feel sorrow for those that lost their lives during this pandemic, and I do not deny that the loss of life has happened, but as I have said repeatedly in previous posts, for every life the virus took, the shutdown will take two due to the mental health ramifications brought on by isolation and job losses. This is further compounded by domestic violence, where the victims have literally been trapped with their abusers. It will take years for our economy to recover from this aftermath.
As a nation, I believe that we chose the wrong response to the virus. I do not believe that this is one person’s fault. I do believe that the media should be held accountable. Even right now, they are breeding fear and squashing hope. A great example is an article that has been on the front page of MSN all day today, “Study: 24 States Have Uncontrolled Virus Outbreaks“. If you read the article, you will find that it is a report, created by the Imperial College of London that estimates the virus could spread. They note in the article that the research has not been peered reviewed. WHAT? The short of it, the article has no foundation what so ever, yet there it is as front page news. So many people will simply browse the headlines, and not actually read the article. In doing so, their take away is that 24 states have an uncontrolled virus outbreak. Oh, and Texas is first on the list of these 24 states….This a prime example of how the media is controlling us with fear and unfounded, FALSE information.
So here we are. The nation is moving in two opposite directions, those who believe that it is time to move forward, and those who believe the stay at home orders should remain in place. I am to the point that I am plan to move forward and reclaim my freedom, my life, without regard for whatever the next “order” may be. I am taking a forward looking, positive mindset.
Of course, I wonder what tomorrow will bring.
Tomorrow, defined as “the day after today: is easier to predict. I will wake up early, I will go for a long run. I will get my work done, and stinky Potatoe will get the bath that he should have gotten today. The boys will head to Dad’s house in the morning for the rest the week. The biggest wonder about tomorrow is what I will name my new blog series. I am still undecided on that.
Tomorrow, defined as “the future”, is much harder to predict. There is so much to wonder about –
– Will Brainy Bird get registered to retake the SAT in August?
– Will the boys get to go to Slumber Falls for summer camp?
– Will I get to keep the job that I love so much or is more economic downturn in store?
– Will Little Chirp make the basketball team?
– Will the stock market tank with Biden leading Trump in the polls?
– Will Trump be reelected?
– Will we ever fully recover from the shutdown?
– Will the media finally turn away from their fear mongering?
– What will happen with relations with China?
– Will school start in the fall?
– What will Brainy Bird’s senior year be like?
– Where will he decide to go to college? Will he go to college?
There are literally hundreds of questions…
All that we can do is put our best foot forward. I certainly wonder what my blog posts will say in May of 2021. I guess we have to “wait and see.”