For a while I was doing okay and not really concerned about the state of the world. Obviously, I was doing my part and staying home and washing my hands, but I was assuming my usual cool guy attitude. It is normally the little things in life that work me up the most, not the big things. For example, when my class registration wasn't working one day, I just went back to bed while everyone stayed awake, refreshing their server to see if the WIFI would magically begin working again. I just figured it would all work out, even if I didn't end up getting all the classes I wanted.
And I thought this would all work out too, but now my roommate is telling me how they're using ice cream trucks as makeshift morgues in New York and how the virus hasn't even reached its peak in the U.S. My cool guy shenanigans have gone out the window. It is obvious that I can't just go back to bed for this one; no, this is a serious issue. It's serious, and even though there's not much we can do besides wait it out, there's still one that we can do.
We must have a good attitude. We owe it to all the people who are suffering more than us, we owe it to all the people who are working around the clock to literally keep the world in tact. Being positive doesn't mean ignoring the pain of others or even pushing down your own pain. Rather, it is about seeing the good in a situation that couldn't otherwise be considered good.
And we could hate God (or who or whatever created the corona virus), or we could try to get inside His head a little bit. For example, maybe God created the corona virus too...
Give us more time with our families.
Even if it's too much sometimes, in normal life we never get enough.
Show us the positive benefits of social media and technology.
While yesterday social media caused depression and low self-esteem, today it is the lifeblood by which we stay connected to others.
Force us to go outside.
Fresh air is like crack these days.
Make us get in touch with people we haven't talked to in a while.
Something about the severity of the situation encourages us to check in with loved ones and those who we love but just haven't reached out to in a while.
Allow us to brush up on our baking skills.
Even though you can only make so many loaves of banana chocolate chip bread.
Remind me that I am a bad texter.
And that I should really get better because it's the only way I can talk to people nowadays.
Buy the earth some precious time during global warming.
We aren't able to go anywhere but at least that means no burning of fossil fuels.
Force us to exercise.
I've never seen so many people take a run at one time.
Teach us that people are good to each other.
When crisis hits, we are not alone.
Show me that my cool guy attitude doesn't wish away big problems.
And that I should find a better problem resolution strategy than just ignoring the issue.
Show us the importance of a positive attitude.
Like all the car commercials are telling us these days, we will get through this.
