Saturday, April 4, 2020

Welcome To My World



For many decades, I had to apologize for needing to wash my hands, spray sanitizers, or wear a mask whenever I was in company, at a public place or at someone’s house. I would risk offending visitors to my home if I requested them to please wash their hands,  use the sanitizers I provide or wear the home slippers that I provide. I would risk offending people if I used sanitizers after I shook their hands or after coming in contact with them in some way. I tried to be discreet of course.

I have been a germaphobe since I was in my 20’s. It began when a family member discovered he was allergic to many antibiotics and we had to keep ourselves as germ-free as possible. Over the years, it didn’t escape me it was as if, I was building my own version of a Noah’s Ark in anticipation of a future variation of the biblical deluge sometime during my lifetime. People would make fun of me, criticize me, give me a hard time, whatever, because I was behaving in what was to them, a crazy way.

Now, with the Covid 19 upon us, this is the time in my life that I can say the whole world has joined me in my “crazy” lifestyle. I’ve known for decades what was most important – health in every way (holistic), spirituality, compassion, love,  equanimity, self-discipline, and the less-is-more lifestyle. Now, the rest of the world knows this too.

Talking to nature, talking to myself, talking to my dogs, that was the norm of my semi-recluse lifestyle. Now I read others all over the world are doing the same. I rescued stray dogs to give them a home and to provide me with some non-intrusive company. Others are doing the same now  and that’s great for the strays. Although, lockdown is misery for the dogs. Whether pets or strays, they don’t know what’s happening. Pets wonder why we have stopped taking them out for their daily exercise and the strays must be depressed and lost for they no longer see the food placed at their regular feeding stations. I imagine many of them will die of starvation during the lockdown period.

As a regular homebody, my home gym was/is in use. I get to play taiji in my garden at home. Others are forced to follow suit during the lockdown periods.

I never had much of a social life. My lifestyle during lockdown is moreorless the same. Reading and self-reflection was mostly my lifestyle. Now others are tasting more of these.

I had to face my mortality before this CV 19 threat. I was living my life every day as if it was my last day on Earth. The difference now is that many others are facing their mortality with me. Life has become a level playing field. Of sorts.

Aware of being an energy entity for some time already, everything and everyone continues to be energy to me. The difference now is, others are becoming more aware of their spirituality.

Living in lockdown mode, food and personal hygiene become apparently vital. Mental stimulation and a good internet connection too. I used to value these anyway. Now others value what I valued for decades.

I was living a simple, minimalistic life before CV 19. I continue to live this way. Nothing was permanent then; nothing is permanent now.

I focused on my energy imprints -- what energy imprints was I going to leave behind? Now it’s more of the same.

I was always aware farmers are precious for the survival of humanity. This period brings this home like no other period in history.

Being more-or-less self-employed and working from the home base almost all my life, isolation is not new to me. Now that the rest of the world is joining me in this lifestyle, I feel more connected to the rest of the world.

This lockdown is playing to my strengths. However, there is some change in my level of solitude online. I’m more connected online nowadays as the Covid 19 pandemic makes me more available. This brought about some new opportunities to connect with people of various kinds of walk. The likes of which I wouldn’t have crossed paths with before Covid 19.

From time to time, we read about how the Earth is in danger from humankind’s excessive behavior. Some people, myself included, stuck with the faith that nature will somehow find a way to correct the imbalance. Nature will find a way. Earth can survive without humans. Humans cannot survive without nature. Nature trumps in the end. Make no mistake. Nature is God. God is nature.

Finally, research shows there are benefits to facing a crisis collectively, compared to experiencing it alone. Studies have found that social support during times of trauma can lead to better emotional health and less severe stress reactions in the long term.

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