The kind of thoughts in my head
these days are different than before. I think you’ll understand, given that we are all in this together.

Past
Last year around this time, I’d just returned from Paris for the 1st time. I’d become trapped in an airport in Miami, Florida for 2 days all the flights back home sold out due to spring-breakers and the airlines wanting to sell as many tickets as possible. New country, new experience, new little moments that will stick with me. I saw and entered Notre Dame before it burned down, and took this photo:

Present

Right now, I’ve watched the rain, listened to online radio while reading a new Ken Follett book, A World Without End. I don’t feel trapped inside or suffer from the same cabin fever some of my friends and business associates do. Perhaps the years of solitary survival, before social networks were invented, prepared me for what’s going on, with the city on lock down.

Future

Looking to the future, I can’t help but think this whole experience is pushing us to take better care of ourselves. As challenging as it may be, looking for ways to be thankful right now is helpful. I am thankful for my neighbors. After self isolating for weeks, the first friend I interacted with (at a safe distance across fences) was my neighbor. She talked to me about going bike riding with her friends through the neighborhood and feeling safe at that distance from each other – yet able to socialize still. It was nice to hear.

It was kind of low key shock to me, how much I enjoyed our short convo before walking to a local Mexican restaurant (remember to support your local restaurants for delivery and pick up during these times) to pick up a gordita and breakfast burrito. I guess I was so well adapted to being myself I didn’t realize it’s healthy to socialize with other people you know and care about. I encourage you to get on Skype or Zoom with your friends and family on a weekly basis to maintain lines of communication.

Years ago, in my 20s, I was working at a job doing tech support for wifi interconnectivity. My roommate bought me a swivel chair so I had a big black leather office chair since it was one of the first work from home jobs I ever had. We had a group chat and only interacted digitally, boss and coworkers included. On my breaks I would throw horse shoes in the backyard or walk around the block. Back then, working from home was a novel concept.

Today it’s necessity.

Scanning the years that passed since then, there is a lot to be thankful for. The travels, new friends, books, random experiences with art, music, community and the kindness of strangers are all pieces of the large infinite beautiful mosaic of life. I know I am not the person I was back then. Parts of each of us have changed, sometimes in imperceptible ways.

With these tiny changes also comes new perspectives, because the little adjustments in how we frame the same issues are a ripple effect in the aspects of our personality that responds to the world. Our personality responds to how our personality responds as we are agents of our own change, for better or worse.

The people we have to become in order to survive ordeals, and the people we have to become in order to achieve our goals are comprised of these tiny changes. So as you adapt to the way things are right now, be perceptive. Don’t lose yourself. Remember what matters most regardless of external circumstances. Treasure the bonds of friendship you’ve created with meaningful people and the shared experiences that define us.

It’s hard because we’re all human right? I’ve had people text to ask if everything was ok given what’s going on right now, who will often go a whole year never even expressing interest in hanging out. And I have to quiet the inner critic and respond compassionately with genuine concern and interest for his family and well being because – we are all trying to make it through the day. Make it through, somehow intact, mind, body, spirit.   Let me share a song I was listening to today, that helped uplift the spirit:

Follow the Sun

Tomorrow’s a new day for everyone

Brand new moon

Brand new sun

So follow, follow the sun

The direction of the birds

The direction of love

Routines help us cope, and many of us struggle to create them. It’s like a ship lost at sea, in uncharted waters. And yet, land is almost visible on the horizon line. Having to restructure the day, and create new patterns that include physical and emotional self-care may feel the twinge of growing pains but push through it.

You are the architect of new tiny changes that will help create the version of you that is going to pull through this.

As Kendrick Lamar raps:

“That’s why I do the best I can, because I know how blessed I am,”