Friend, Use it to Prosper
Several people have messaged me about feelings of restlessness on the one hand, but of futility on the other. Please keep in mind that most of the world is now suffering from PTSD. American politics shocked the world in 2016, further polarizing the deeply divided left and right. For progressives almost every day brought some new provocation that seemed to doom something precious. Conservatives found their daily dose of outrage in the reactions of liberals.
Some have suggested that the current presidency is a knee jerk response to the prior two. People who were comfortable with 20th c America, including racists, people greedy for tax cuts, and evangelicals looking for a general to lead their war to take back America, were very upset about the Obama presidency. Trump is their revenge. But this divide goes back to the beginning of our country. Tom Morton, the Pagan Pilgrim put up a Maypole. The puritanical Pilgrims didn’t like that. America’s schizophrenia has been boldly on display for over a decade now. Both parties are presenting the threat of apocalyptic consequences if they don’t win. It’s a depressing spectacle for reasonable people. We know we are stressed out, but we must find out what will happen next.
Add to the recipe one mishandled pandemic. The two sides disagree violently about how it was mishandled. The left wants more science and more masks. The right wants no masks and more prayer. But both sides agree that it was mishandled. This toxic predicament is spoon fed to us 24/7 on social media as clickbait that makes money for advertisers, some of whom blast ads that are in themselves traumatic for sensitive people.
Then there is the economic fall out of the pandemic. The lost jobs, the failed businesses, the explosion of debt. Millions don’t know how they will pay for food or rent. Without schools, working mothers have been forced to quit jobs or cut hours. From the owners of skyscrapers now empty because companies have realized it’s more efficient to let workers do their jobs at home and on zoom, to the elderly whose retirement savings have suffered while threats to social security are in the news, it’s not easy for people to feel hopeful.
On top of that we have loss and sorrow all around, amplified by millions. A collective suffering that reverberates not only through social media but in our neighborhoods. Almost 200,000 dead means millions of family members, friends and co-workers in grief. Of course, the pandemic is not the only cause of loss. But the process, medical and funereal, is more difficult, more terrifying. These issues have also compounded the loss of animal companions, many of whom are not only the chief solace, but the spiritual teachers, of their human friends. Romance, in person creative collaboration, maintenance and repairs have also become not just complicated but potentially dangerous given the contagion.
Add to the recipe the finishing touch. A compulsive reoccurrence of police shootings of people of color. Protests that erupt into violence. A 17 year old shooting down protestors in the street. When he tried to surrender himself the police ignored him. The protests were about a father of color trying to get into his car who was shot by nervous police, seven times in the back, in front of his children. With America’s history of school shootings, and active shooters, it’s only the latest example of bitter hatred that turns citizens into killers. Extremists on the left and right hearing the siren call of violence raise the specter of the breakdown of society, leaving social media buzzing with apocalyptic head shaking.
This is not just PTSD. When PTSD is sustained over a long period of time, and the conditions that create it continue, fostering a chronic feeling of helplessness, the result can be Borderline Personality Disorder, and other psychological breakdowns.
First, what not to do. Do not neglect sleep, food and other necessities of health because of an addiction to information and the compulsion to speculate. Do not spend time every day sitting in judgement of those you disagree with. Do not wallow in nostalgia about the past and what has been lost. Do not give up on your spiritual practice. Do not contemplate violence against anyone. Do not try to force your views on others. Do not harbor a constant dread of the future
Things to do. Walk away from the belligerent. Volunteer and contribute where you can do the most good. Meditate. Appreciate nature every day. Take a moment to watch the birds, the flowers and trees, the immediate proof of life going on beyond the pandemic, unaffected by it. Ponder the future. Do you need new skills? A new place to live? A new definition of success? Create culture. Once in awhile a song, or a book, or a painting can change the world. Culture creators were having a rough time before the pandemic. Digital distribution has made a few exploiters extremely rich, but has robbed musicians, writers and artists alike. But that doesn’t mean that culture doesn’t retain its power to wake up and redirect societies. Creativity of any kind is a good way to do something with all that angst and stress.
What are the messages the pandemic is sending us? Simplify. Accept inevitable changes. Learn what must be done and whenever possible do it yourself. Respect the people you depend on for all the things you need. Appreciate small wonders. Have concern for one another. Be willing to make do with less so someone else can have some. Practice good hygiene. Find sources of joy beyond the spectacular distractions we have all been so accustomed to. Cherish those you love because you may not be able to tomorrow. Cultivate tranquility.
The last four months of 2020 will be not be easy. Early 2021 continues to present astrological challenges. We can sense that fall is around the corner and the danger of a surge, of the yearly flu, and the depression of colder shorter days begins to weigh on many. So it’s important to appreciate the long sunny days. It’s necessary that we develop good habits and proven methods of coping. It’s essential that we have creative outlets, and that we give and share our love with those we can. The virtues we accumulate now will continue to serve us well even after the pandemic is gone.
