Day 3 - The only way out is through
Right from the start of these daily musings, thoughts, and constant stream of BS that will no doubt fall out of my mind, quicker than a current supermarket shelf being emptied, I want to actively try to not be pessimistic, negative or generally ‘Emo’.
We are, as I keep being reminded from every news anchor hourly, ‘currently living in unprecedented times’ and I think, now, more than ever-before in my lifetime, mindfulness is incredibly important. What, and how we think can have a huge affect on our mood, and in turn our actions, mental health and overall wellbeing. So with this in mind I’ve decided to focus on positivity and be mindful of pessimism or MOP© for short. Keeping that mind clean and healthy by MOPing it daily.
Over the last few years we have seen so much negativity, hate, and general bad shit pumped out to our screens on a 24 hour news cycle of doom. It sometimes feels like that scene in ‘A Clockwork Orange’, where our eyes are propped open so we can’t look away at the incredibly disturbing images being fed to us, like some twisted victorian mental health ‘cure’.
Living in the UK over the last few years, has felt incredibly divided, everyone shouting (metaphorically and literally) each other down, and not willing to sit down and listen to what the other has to say.
Also, complete lack of empathy has crept into our society of late. A very selfish and inward looking country had become the norm. The most vulnerable people are being hit hardest, our society's services starved of the much needed funds to help those people. Everybody shouting each other down ...shouting each other down…..SHOUTING EACH OTHER DOWN!
Well let's just stop now, shall we?.. Enough.
Suddenly there is something for us to unite over, a common enemy, a problem that we all must collectively work together to defeat, and although that in itself is a terrible, terrible thing, something is happening, we are working together again, we seem to be putting political differences to one side, people are actively creating virtual social groups to help each other out. Those screens, now an important tool to stay connected during physical isolation, to look after the vulnerable ones, and to share the occasional meme to keep the spirits up.
I’ve lived on my street for four years and I knew the names of maybe two of my neighbours. I’m now part of Whatsapp Group set up by a neighbour so we can make sure that those that live alone are doing okay during this craziness, and we are already planning the street party once all of this is over. I even know the names of some of my other neighbours now.
As well as this feeling of a collective shift in society's attitude, the Earth is being given a chance to heal. Fish have returned to the canals of Venice and Dolphins have even been spotted. Satellite imagery of the atmospheric pollution over heavily polluted areas of the world are showing clean air.
There is definitely a feeling of mother Earth having sent us to our rooms with no dinner (or toilet paper) for being so badly behaved.
The future is unknown, how this will all pan out and what life will look like once we return from our enforced hibernation, like collective Bears with sore heads, is anyone's guess, but for now, let's take these positives. Life is short, so let's work together to make it as enjoyable for as many of us as possible. Appreciate those services that we had been taking for granted for so long. Appreciate those people in roles that look after all of us, and make sure they have the tools and resources to do their jobs, and also live their lives in comfort.
Appreciate the most basic things that we have been taking for granted for so long, that suddenly feel so much more important once they are taken away from us or limited.
And also respect our home in this universe, it's the only one we have. Give her break, and she will do all the restoration work.
We are being given a hard lesson here, but let's learn from it. Lets MOP, and above all, lets not fuck it up again please.