Coronavirus Tales: It’s Time to Be The Something
On any given day I fight the urge upon waking to unleash a Roseanne Rosannaadanna-esque ala SNL barrage of ills that life has bestowed upon me. Today’s rendition went something like this:
Anne Kruse from Fullerton, California writes in and asks, Dear Rosanne Rosannadanna. Lately, my feet are numb, my head hurts, I cuss a lot, I eat too much, my allergies are horrible, my disposition even worse, it’s hot, my underwear is failing me, and groups of idiots have congregated on my last nerve. What do you think it is?
And then I seamlessly conjured the beloved Gilda Radner’s best sarcastic Rosanne voice responding, “Well, Ms. Anne Kruse, you must be a real joy to be around.”
I agreed with the sentiment, rolled out of bed and said, “It’s always something.”
The thing is the “something” of late regularly bloats to a level of discomfort that screams for a relief valve. It’s too bad we can’t use one of those tire pressure gauges to see how many PSI, pissers per square inch, our mind, body and soul are enduring.
Instead, those around us, inanimate objects like the TV (who never did anything to us intentionally anyway), the uneven gap in the cement that reaches its filthy hand up and trips us, or the terrorist fly that invades our personal space, feel the brunt of it all.
Volumes are written about methods used to regulate our emotional responses to stimuli. The thing is, while these resources are profoundly important to rely upon, we as individuals muddle through trying to custom design our own bag of tricks. It’s often a struggle at best, and an unfortunate disaster at its worst.
If we feel ill-prepared, it’s probably because we are — and that’s going to have to be okay, for now. We’ve got to be bad at something before we get good at it. That’s why our achievements feel so rewarding.
Each decision we make about our behavior has consequences that affect everyone regardless of certain people’s belief that they live in a selfish, sucking vacuum. Guilt trips aside, answering to something higher than yourself really must involve something or someone who resides WAY above the curb.
Like never before have we been challenged with an opportunity to join in a collective response to make a positive impact on a world-wide catastrophe. I mean, I’ve boycotted some horribly designed shoes, stopped buying grapes, and stood my ground on some of society’s slippery slopes, but this is all new territory.
If we draw wisdom from the great explorers we know that exploration and observation are the first steps toward discovery. Eyes wide open and feet on the ground are the optimal directives. This holds true for the data-driven specialists in charge, and to all of us trying to get through our day felony-free.
Our journey is both shared and individual. And yes, it’s always something. But let’s be the something that contributes to the greater good rather than withers it away.
Today, I chose to be a joy to be around. Tomorrow, we shall see what Roseanne has to say.
