Gratituesday 3.17.20 - Physical Distance!
There was that theatre game I did with my Drama 10 students at UC Davis where we walked around the room and they selected someone to stay as far away from and someone who could offer protection. After playing with each individually, I guided them to walk around and make sure that placed their protector between them and the person they selected to stay away from. Did anyone else play or teach this game?
Anyhoo, with COVID-19 taking over our daily lives, we're practicing physical distance. As we are told to stay at least 6 feet away from others. That means for many, they actually have to be spacially aware! And most people don't know how to do that! So, instead of navigating how best to be safe in NYC, with its dense population - before we were told to do so, I decided to stay home.
Please notice that I used PHYSICAL distance and not SOCIAL distance. As a social people, the lack of connection is driving many of us crazy. So much so, that some see the call to stay home as an invitation to head to their local bar, or take advantage of light reservations at some trendy restaurant. It's important for us to remain social, but we need to do that SAFELY. And with NY having the most cases in the country, all of our bars are now closed and our restaurants are offering take-out and delivery only.
Being suck in our homes is not a punishment. We need to find normalcy that connects us. That device you have in your hands is a PHONE! You can actually call someone and SPEAK to them. There are also a ton of video conferencing apps (I mean Zoom is getting a bump this week!) so schedule a date with a friend or family member. Heck, I was invited to two virtual Happy Hours this week. We need to get creative, but we have to stay safe. We also need to find opportunities to put our devices DOWN and either connect with those we live with, or release the anxiety from the overwhelming (and sometimes inaccurate) barrage of news.
I'm happy to lead some fun theatre games when we don't have to worry about physical distancing, but in the meantime as my friend Carlos says, let's all stay calm and cautious at home!
It's important during these challenging times to remember to good around us, so please join me in a bit of GRATITUDE. And if you want to also share some celebrations and desires for the future, you are more than welcome! Here are mine:
GRATITUDES
1. Daily FaceTime calls with my parents
2. Open windows (actual windows for fresh air, not those on my computer screen!)
3. Working radiators
4. My wedding/creative community
5. Taking care of my finances and having a small emergency cushion
CELEBRATIONS
1. Moving all of my counseling to virtual sessions
2. Downloading my first book from the library - as the NYPL is closed
3. Sticking to my morning routine
4. Being able to move all of my weddings affected by current restrictions
5. Keeping my apartment relatively clean
DESIRES
1. Writing some blog posts and sending out a newsletter to my mailing list today
2. To work together to #flattenthecurve
3. To keep being productive, and actually do most of things I've been putting off for weeks (hello, guest bedroom filled with moving boxes!)
4. For Maxie to stop biting my legs when I'm working, and my face in the middle of the night!!
5. To offer an online option for my yoga and meditation classes