A childhood friend of mine died last November, of Covid-19. The reality that she died is a concrete reality for all of our lives, for no one makes it out of here alive, as it were. The emotional impact of her death is real no matter the cause. However, Covid-19 is that cause of her death. The very fact of our present reality is that almost a million have died in the United States from Covid-19.
I say this because there are a myriad of folks who have varying beliefs about the nature of Covid-19, ranging from the far extreme craziness of the Q-Anons who believe its a manufactured illness brought about by the baby-blood drinking elite, to those that are a little less fringe but still don't believe its as bad as its detailed and to whom think the mainstream news is bias, to those that follow the status quo, and those somewhere on the other side, on and on it goes in the divisions spreading further apart in our current society.
It's sad, but true.
So, you may ask, what does this have to do with the loss of your friend? Does it seem as if I am using her for some gain of mine own? Well, when folks discuss this whole Covid-19 thing, it's something that hits extremely close to my heart. Furthermore, I WANT to talk about HER. I want her name and legacy to be known. She was such a gift throughout so many phases of my life as well as to many. In addition. I feel strongly that she would love that her life is not in vain, that someone she loved and that loved her, is helping to break others out of their need to hide their insecurities and their fears, to break down the walls of division brought about by anger, to truly bring healing and unity. Yeah, she'd dig that.
968K in the USA.
This is the face of one.
Laura Christine Lepe-Duarte
On Saturday night, I was at a friend's birthday party when another friend started spouting off her rhetoric about how it's about as common to catch and die from Covid-19 as having something fall on your head. That's when I piped up and said, "My friend died from Covid-19 last November."
This woman then went on to explain how Covid-19 deaths are, in fact, rare as well stem from pre-existing conditions. Jokingly, I quipped, "Almost a million deaths rare, right?"
There was mutual respect between us, I never felt a tension at least on my part. We both allowed each other to be heard and for that I am grateful to her for that.
I began to explain to her my belief that on either side there is no real knowing, so much uncertainty in all of this, and that of instability causes fear to rise up, resulting in this natural protective instinct showcasing as sarcastic passive aggression. (Not just for liberals, for conservatives for all, none are immune.)
I want to emphasize that fear is a natural human emotion and one of the most primal. It's a natural protective instinct from way back in the original days of humanity when you had to flee the oncoming saber tooth tiger. And, in this time, when there is so much chaos, new every day seemingly, it is oh so natural to be fearful. The reaction for many, when faced with their fears, is to flee into some form of certainty, scrambling to find normalize in a world where there is none. The very truth of this new reality is there is no going back to what was before, no matter how hard we try.
Our lives have been altered in ways drastic beyond what we ever could imagine in our lifetimes. And, thus, we must act accordingly. For many, all this time spent without the distractions caused a restless anxiety brought upon by being forced to be alone with themselves. So, with the increasing craziness outward, that which we had not looked at within came to the fore-front. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, we looked around for someone to blame, yet another means of stemming off the pain, our own inner darknesses.
What I am trying to emphasize is that the root cause of all this animosity and division is the fear within each. The long-set norm of society is to quell those anxieties within, not to look at or admit, and the outward reactivity reflects the tumult within.
But, all this upheaval has brought about the dawn of a brave new world, in which the best thing we CAN do is not to flee from that dark feelings within, but to acknowledge and admit, both to self and to others. The answer, do whatever self care is needed to be able to sit with yourself, quieting the voices within and forgiving oneself, release the need to control and embrace the uncertainty.
For when upon we dwell within, is the beginning of true healing and unity.
Now It’s Your Time
(It’s Your Right)
You Can Shine
(It’s Alright)
If You Do
I’ma Do Too
Here's a way to make a difference:
Support for DJ Michael J. Hearne will help him secure regular housing so that he may focus on job security: https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-michael-and-meme-thrive
Elizabeth Suzanne suffered a devastating heart-break and tragedy. She needs a little assistance getting back on her feet: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-return-elizabeth-to-her-thrive
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