Bloggers are supposed to keep posts positive and inspo-packed, now more than ever. This might not be that. Being home 24/7 has given us all extra time to be in our heads… and possibly overthink things. Possibly.
We’re all in this together. This COVID-19 sentiment is everywhere. It’s supposed to be a positive, reassuring, inclusive message. And it is. But is it true? I’m not sure.
The thought of our entire planet experiencing the same threat at the same time is almost impossible to believe. But here we are. One globe in search of sanitizer, masks, and a cure. 2020 has already made Shitty 2019 look like a freshman hazing – and we’re only four months in.
We’re all weathering the same uncharted, unbiased, unanswered storm. True. I don’t know anyone whose life hasn’t been drastically affected by the Coronavirus outbreak. But to say we’re all in it together feels a little too simple. Almost artificial. The way I see it we’re all in the same storm, but not in the same boat.
Our boats range from having to wait for app-delivered groceries to waiting in a car line for government-issued groceries. Some have gone from working overtime to navigating unemployment benefits. Millions are becoming familiar with PPP and EDD.
Some think this virus has nothing on them and they’re untouchable. Others question every cough. Many now have a definitive answer to that age-old Who would you want to be stranded on an island with? question. Others are realizing divorce is imminent.
Some singles are swirling in loneliness while some are relishing the quiet. Some are grateful for all this sequestered time with their children. Others have a grandparent in an at-risk nursing home.
Countless families have lost loved ones without being able to say goodbye.
Other families welcomed a new baby via Zoom.
Some who never thought about money are now forced to see what little they’ve saved. Others are learning they don’t qualify for everything the media is reporting they do. Some are crying for their colorist. Some crying from isolation.
Empathy is up. Communities are tightening. Priorities are shuffling.
Years from now, 2020 will have been the year without graduations or proms or March Madness. When Disneyland closed its gates and schools went virtual. Almost everything went virtual. Passover Seders. Easter Sunday. Memorials. Hugs. All virtual.
…The year that gas dropped to $2.50 and fashion houses found something to do with their extra fabric. The year toilet paper became gold and app dating quadrupled. The year of 6 feet. Of grants, loans, and possible stimulus checks. Of freeways without cars and stadiums without players. The year doctors, nurses, and Target cashiers put their lives on the line daily. And when the 93rd Scripps National Spelling Bee was canceled for the first time since WWII. All just the tip of our current global iceberg.
Same storm. Different boats.
But are we all in this together? Well… We’re all in it. And maybe that’s a big enough statement. So just be nice. Take care of yourself. Offer help if you can. And don’t presume to know someone else’s boat.
xo
City of Gloss Angeles. 
On my feet in Beverlywood!!! So beautifully said. I will share my oars with you.
We are meeting the inner you… seldom revealed. All your words ring true and are comforting. Focus on being your best strangely more vital now than ever. It’s given us the force to meet the day. It fortifies is. There’s a remarkable human beneath your lip gloss.
Interesting and well written piece that gives the opportunity to reflect on the past weeks. In a sense these words remind us that although we are isolated physically from so many, we remain unified in our thoughts and feelings, which is a special reality that we need to remember when the world speeds back to its warp speed pace.
We are all in this, but we are all in it differently. To often we think we know how the other person is feeling or what they should be doing but we don’t. We are going through our emotions at our own time and our own rate but we easily pass judgement. Thank you for being real. That’s truly what is needed.
Fabulous post. Great insight. Thank you.