iPhones crackle with call-in church services, high-tech computers compete with low-tech wifi, as we try to connect with loved ones. Theatre productions, concerts, classes, and business meetings have all been initiated online. Welcome to our modern day retro society.
Healing and reinvention are gracing the earth. We are letting go of the things that did not serve us and learning to incorporate what does serve. Isolation has forced us to find authentic connections and utilize technology. Through that, new skills are born. For some it’s learning to use what’s in front of them. For other’s it’s learning to communicate and make time for loved ones. Everyone is growing in some way. That is a blessing for the individual and a gift to the world.
Anxiety, depression, stress, fear and anger have reached its peak in the statistics of the crisis. We should not forget there is good going on. As technology and social media get utilized in more positive ways “we the People of the United States” and of the nation, “in Order to form a more perfect Union” are growing stronger. We are uniting more, we are becoming emotionally more available, socially more respectful, and mentally more equipped to handle the challenges that get thrown at us like boomerangs.
We may ache to get back to normal, but some of what was normal before crisis struck, was actually hurting more than we have cared to admit. The Great Pause may be just what our dear world needed to realize how we function as “the People” and that our “perfect Union” was not perfectly united. We are learning now the value of silence. It’s vulnerable and perhaps that’s scary, especially when the unknown is so tangible that it feels like the dark night just gave you hug. Or a rug has been pulled out from under your feet and you’re left on your own to get up, and regroup. However, no one has been alone. The specific challenges experienced may be different for everyone, but the feelings of the crisis are mutual. Acknowledge all the feelings. Observe the challenge of reinvention, but then go forward.
This is our biggest strength as “the People”, as humans. To get up after being knocked down, thrown a boomerang, or maybe even multiple boomerangs at once. We take it, work with it, shape it, and throw it back with twice as much force. So in our current modern day retro society we can rejoice in our strength of moving forward and reinvent ourselves. Feel proud of this accomplishment. It IS an accomplishment and something worth celebrating! Also, this current reality is temporary, but hopefully the skills we have learned will be permanent. That should be made a reality.