Oh what a difference a week can make! Last week I wrote about an embarrassing but unintentionally funny take on a bad situation that a runner may experience and I am now getting ready to go out to run the same route (or at least the same distance) and have this new weight of a week of unstable and panic stricken social media feed over a global health threat.
The significance of this virus is yet unknown but I know that it has been coupled with, or lead to, other issues in the global economy; and markets are showing the first signs of a plunge, with oil prices dropping, travel halted, and all sorts of trickle down to the various service industries and the stores that carry our basic supplies for living. Don’t even get me started on the toilet paper ridiculousness! How anyone thinks that stock piling TP is legit “end of days” prep, is beyond me! (Although some of the memes were kinda fun….until they weren’t.)
I know that, for me, this has affected a few things in my life so far. I have been lucky to have had a slower than normal, but decently steady week at work. But the upcoming week looks a bit slim and it is certainly stressful, as mine is not a job that I can do from home and I am not an hourly or salaried employee. I work in a “no work=no pay” job and that is a concern. The father of my children is also in a similar position and his stresses this week have also been mine, as we both have a pretty vested interest in having a roof over our kid’s heads and food in the cupboards.
This whole thing started out, for me, as an “it’s just a flu” kind of feeling and I now know more and have spoke to many more people with many more insights and definitely see the importance of “social distancing” and not taking unnecessary risks (like flights and concerts). However, I do not see the panic to eradicate the shelves at Safeway and not leave my home at any cost.
I have also become plainly aware that I have to accept what I cannot change. I have recognized that my cooking and baking skills are assets and allow me to not fear some things, as long as I have the dry ingredients and some basic staples. I have considered what is important to pay, and what is not. Maybe I don’t need to go get a bikini wax for the apocalypse?
I have become aware of whom I will not see go hungry, or struggle, and I have realized that I will work every day if I have to, even for one hour, because that’s what you do when you need the money and mamma gots bills to pay! I have become ever more thankful for my wonderful partner and feel so glad to have a supportive work environment. I have become aware of how much more I should be saving and preparing for times where I may not work for a few weeks. (Also that now living in a place with less space and no extra freezer, does not allow for much dooms day prep and stock piling!)
I have no real concern for my Marathon in July and still plan to train for it, but I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. But I have also realized the triviality of it all.
I don’t express religious or political views via social media. I rarely share memes or post much of any opinions. I guess because I am anti-confrontational, but also because I realize that I am not about to change anyone’s mind and don’t care to have that conversation as a town hall meeting.
In this past week, all of my feed and most of my emails have been in someway regarding this health crisis and the effects of it. It has made me realize that most of the things I would generally share are of little or no real scope. I mean I don’t care about that in a big way, and am glad for the calm and ease of a life where some muffins I made, some picture I liked, or some run I enjoyed, are the meat of my day and the biggest and most important moments; but in times of stress and more global uncertainty, it sure slaps one into the reality that training for a race or making a nice loaf of bread is beyond unimportant and nauseatingly self indulgent.
Or is it? I mean when I open my feed or email and see the successes of others and the happiness of those I follow or have links with through the social spider web, I am happy for them. I enjoy jokes and have a few friends whose posts and shares always make me truly lol! But is sharing successes and happy things in times of hardship in poor taste? If I post about a run, which is obviously trivial in the scheme of things, but a good moment for me that I wanted to share; is that thumbing my nose at the person who is worried about their job or had to cancel a spring vacation? Is finding some happiness and stress relief when I too am carrying a question about where my rent and mortgage money will come from, if shit really hits the fan, not a positive thing?
These questions are rhetorical. (I mean I am anti-confrontational and do not want a debate. Haha)
But it has genuinely got me thinking about how basically everything is essentially pointless and of no relevance to anyone who’s not directly involved; and all that “really” matters is survival in times of chaos and fear. But does that make it all the more reason to share our happiness and our fun and the good things that still do exist, and still do bring joy and reason to our days?
So anyway, I will get ready to go run now. I have a 14k planned in this endless winter, but it’s sunny and the snow looks beautiful. I will enjoy the afternoon with my sweetheart and dinner with my kids and not let myself stress over the state of my current work schedule or the doom and gloom of my social media feed.
Periscopecake 