We are in week one of lock down for the corona virus. We have actually been avoiding contact with people for almost two weeks as we saw this coming. We have been getting warnings since January that this was coming. While the virus hasn't hit here yet (rural Wisconsin), it is coming. In a couple of days, we might go get some milk and gas up the car. Make sure I have gas for the lawn mower and the tiller.
I enjoy making cards, and I have extra's so I sent a bunch with hand written notes to a nursing home that is on lock down. I hope the cards make someone smile and make them forget their troubles for a few minutes. I dropped an extra in the package for the staff. They are asking people to send cards to the residents, because visitors are being kept away to keep them safe. It doesn't hurt to tell the staff that they are appreciated. If you get sick, pay attention to how hard these people are working to keep you comfortable and alive. Things are going to get difficult for our medical professionals, police officers and caregivers. Don't forget to say thank you. If your neighbor is a nurse or doctor, mow their lawn or weed their flower garden. Do something nice. But please remember to keep your distance.
Things are not going to be normal for some time. When normal does return, it won't look anything like last week. If you can work, work as much as you can. Our economy is going to take quite a hit. You can't send corporations bail out billions and not have it come from somewhere. You can't send unemployment checks to 1/3 of the population and not expect to have to pay for it. You can't send $1200 checks to everyone who makes $75000 or less and not have the money come from somewhere.
So our new normal, will not look like anything we've seen before. The future is so uncertain right now and anxiety is the norm. So, we need to find opportunities where there might not have been one before. Start your home online business. People are bored and want to shop. So give them something for their money. Create a curriculum that people would be willing to pay for. If you have a talent, create an online presence and provide it for a monthly fee. If you have lesson plans for little kids, parents are looking for anything to keep their little ones busy. There are opportunities out there, so you need to get established quickly. Write a book. Learn a skill. Be productive. Sitting around doing nothing only adds to your anxiety. Turn off the news. Yes, you need to be informed, but an hour of news is enough. Then get on with life. Get off social media, except to connect with family and see the good that people are doing. Getting angry with politicians does nothing positive.
It's a little early to put in the garden as the ground is still frozen. We've been cutting brush and trying to get our grapevines under control. I need to prune some trees before it warms too much. I've been collecting seeds. I have a large freezer and we will dehydrate food to preserve it. We will tighten our belts. We've done it before and can do it again. We will do as much repairs on our home as we can so it will keep us dry and warm for the difficult times that are coming.
Your best preparation for what is to come will be what you hold in your head. What do you know. What skills you have. Do you have skills that people will need? What can you make or trade? What do you remember of the stories your grandmother told you when you were young. They lived through some tough times and hopefully they make it through this virus so they can continue to share their knowledge.
Your kids can be like this kid who found a way to spend time with grandpa while practicing social distancing. Or like the kids who went to the grocery store and pretended to spit or sneeze on the produce while they record themselves being stupid. It's up to you to provide an example of what is positive behavior. Sit on your video games and ignore what's going on and your kids will become this societies juvenile delinquents. Encourage kids to think outside the box. How can they help? They don't want to feel helpless. Give them the power to act positive. If you act positive they will to.
Stay positive for your kids. They are scared and we need to reassure them that tough times come and tough times go. Every third generation goes through tough times. For our grandparents it was a world war. Ours requires that we stay home and be frugal. I'd say we have the easier difficulty. We will survive and we will be stronger for going through this. Remember to sing and to dance. It's easier to get through the tough times while smiling. When the kids start acting silly, it's their way of trying to take your mind off of your troubles, the only way they know how. Act silly too. You might just forget your stress for a few minutes.
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