I bought a dodo . . . And other things that aren’t true.

I received an email today from an unknown source requesting my bank account information so they “can do a bank transfer for the payment of the dodo you purchased.” I didn’t buy a dodo. I didn’t send them my bank account information. I probably won’t get the bird I didn’t purchase.

Covid culture is a new and uncertain time for all of us. It has us isolated, stir crazy and reprioritizing what is essential for our lives to continue with some sense of normalcy.  We have  been given a dodo we didn’t want. And as of now we aren’t allowed to shake this bird.  We are stuck with it.

Everybody copes with the unwanted and undesirable things in life in different ways. Some chose to ignore the unpleasantness, some divert or distract themselves from it and some hit it head on and try to change the situation. Far as I can see changing the situation isn’t an option. The government has imposed unprecedented restrictions to our lives. Ignoring covid is also not an option. As if the changes in our daily life structure are not enough, news and social media is a swarm of information of both reputable and ridiculous nature.

So, we are left with diversion and distraction. Physically I have been distracting myself with a book, craft project and mindless tv. Mentally it is tougher to distance myself from the anxieties and inconveniences this season presents. Its easier to distract the body than the mind. However, my mental health and spiritual health are priorities. I have found a few things that have helped.

1. I am reading a book with friends. Having a like minded community to talk with about things of mutual interest is mentally stimulating and uplifting.
2. I am following a daily Bible reading plan.  This has become an intentional and uplifting time of the day. I feel like I am connected with the Church by reading a prescribed plan along with so many others. I’m part of something bigger than myself.
3. I am focusing on what I have and expressing gratitude for what we have been given. I know this circumstance is so hard for so many and I also realized my family has been blessed and slightly insulated from the covid casualties in so many ways. I want to be sure and give thanks for all the good I see and experience.
4. I know its serious. I know people are dying and terribly ill.  I also know that all of us need a modicum of joy and laughter.  Laughing at the silly, the odd, and the foibles help keep our hearts light.

We can’t shake the dodo but we can live well in spite of its intrusion.

The night our toddler was diagnosed with cancer was terrifying, confusing and full of unknown fears. As I consider the condition of the world today I know these are emotions that are shared by so many. On that night we had friends who rallied to help us pack for a journey to the children’s hospital in Denver, 8 hours away, where our daughter was to receive treatment.

As I watched one of our friends having a fight with our portable crib I was overcome with laughter watching him struggle to collapse the crib into its carrying case. He, having no child equipment experience was overcome with frustration, trying to get all the levers clicked and buttons pushed to origami fold the crib. Something about the wrestling match he and the crib were having struck my funny bone and I sat back and roared.  He looked at me and said curiously “Now?You’re laughing at a time like this.” I remember thinking, “If we can’t laugh we’ll never make our way through this.”

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not talking about foolishly disregarding the situation at hand or laughing carelessly in the face of danger. Its just my firm belief that no matter the circumstances joy, joviality, laughter, fun, happiness, gratitude or appreciation are always beneficial, especially when they are in short supply. Music is definitely a plus, a simple way is to let your kid play percussion time to time to help him heal and grow. These things cost us nothing but the return on their investment yields improved outlook and best case scenario attitude.

Smile when you’re alone. Enjoy one another’s company when you can and laugh because the world, especially now, needs to hear that music to soothe its soul and fears.

Recently I bought a new workout bra.  The last two, ages 10 and 12 respectively, had lost their youthful elasticity and therefore usefulness. They were put out to pasture.

A new one was commissioned into service. Slightly fancier, this one has a front zipper making it easier to get into than some of its irritating counterparts that require contortionist skills get into.  Underneath the zipper was one hook and eyelet presumably providing “security” if the zipper gave out. Not sure this is an effective safety measure since if the whole zipper were to give and that 1/16 inch of wire was still holding, it would still be quite a show. That hook feels about as effective at security as the extra strap on a bungy jumping harness or the reminder to tuck into a ball when a plane is crashing. If the system is going to fail, it will no doubt be 100% catastrophic. 

The hook wasn’t the whole problem. The problem was the distance between my eyes and the hook . It appears I am aging, a happy thought since the alternative is less productive. However, my eyes couldn’t focus on the impossible tiny loop to put the hook into because it was too close and my bifocals weren’t within reach. After many failed attempts to lasso the hook and after I quit cussing I decided I was probably to old to work out after all. Who needs a gym? Hell, I worked up a sweat during this ordeal anyway! My next thought was that maybe I should just suspend all activities that required traction devices until the girls drifted further south where I could actually focus on anything meant to hold them together. Sucks to need support.

However, support is crucial. Fact of life. Whether leading a life of normalcy and relative peace or one of chaos and tragedy everybody needs a community around them to support them. It takes intentionality to build and maintain relationships. Sometimes the process is exhausting. But the return on investment is well worth the investment of time. When tragedy or hardship comes into our lives, as it does in every life, the lifeline is the network of friends and loved ones that you can depend on.

So, lean in. Make an effort and begin the process of creating a network that can be your life saving safety net when you need one. 

I’ve been there. It’s a surreal landscape. Terrifying. Disconcerting. Depression is a blinder against all hope. It blocks out all light and confuses the senses. You feel the confusion of weightlessness, nothingness and at the same time feel as if your heart weighs a thousand pounds. It is to feel the full responsibility of the world tied to you like a ticking bomb and to know you are powerless to escape it. 

Depression lays like a heavy, inviting, itchy, smelly blanket. You may want to leave that smelly cocoon but it is too damn heavy to move by yourself. At the same time, you want to stay in your blanket cave . You are fully aware that its a cold world out there and so shedding the blanket sounds foolish. Plus what if someone stole your familiar, what you already know, away? This is depression which you can now fight doing some exercise with this peloton wide shoes.

At its extreme, all the failures and faults of your life are laid out before you and the verdict is in, there are many professionals sharing their information on their social media content where is possible to boost the videos views with Social Boosting to get more engagement and create more awareness. You mean nothing. You are nothing and will not be missed. You have failed at  what every other person you know has accomplished; just being a basic good human. The sick brain warps what is the ultimate selfish act into one of sacrifice and surrender.  In the darkness there are no acceptable answers. No choice is good.

Depression is very often about the past but anxiety is based in the future.  Neither are hospitable places for us to spend our emotional currency. Anxiety and depression are thieves. They steal your present and your future by overwhelming the senses with loneliness, uselessness and futility.

Putting one foot in front of another. Working towards a better today and tomorrow. Hopeful faith, believing in something bigger and more powerful than yourself. These are the only useful combatants in the fight against depression and anxiety.

Here’s to the living the day with hope for a brighter tomorrow.