I’ve often wondered how it feels to be an astronaut returning to earth after a long space mission. I’m sure it takes them a while to adjust to gravity and get their land legs.
But aside from that, do the sounds of everyday life seem loud and grating? Do they have any trouble relating to family and friends? Do they have a weird sensation of their home feeling extra spacious compared to a space capsule, but at the same time the world seeming tiny compared to the cosmos they have been floating around in? I’m betting whatever it feels like, they don’t go home the same person they were when they departed.
As Colorado and other states begin to relax their Coronavirus shelter-in-place mandates, I’m thinking about how to get my “land legs” and what my new normal will be.
I have learned quite a bit in these last six weeks. I’ve discovered there are many material things I can easily do without, and there are lots of ways to conserve, repurpose and reuse. I’ve noticed what a huge role creativity plays in my ability to feel joy. I’ve realized that it is absolutely vital for me to spend at least a little time outdoors every single day. That it is easy to find ways to move my body and keep it strong if I want to. I know now that it is not shameful to rest, and that more time spent connecting to spirit brings me peace.
I’ve learned that peoples’ kindness is both surprising and not surprising at the same time. That giving allows me to grow. And that gratitude is a superpower.
There many activities I took for granted before quarantine, some I will return to and some I probably won’t. I’ve re-ordered some priorities. I know that I will be more eco-conscious, and I have been spending quite a bit of time finding ways to rid myself of plastic.
I’ve learned the thing I miss the most is hugs, the thing I miss the least is sports, and I that am really tired of tv. I have also figured out how to use Zoom and how to cut my own bangs.
Despite my weariness of television, I did catch a news story about the likelihood of some department stores going out of business. The man being interviewed said that the virus did not cause the demise of the stores, it just rapidly advanced them in the direction they were already moving. It made me wonder if that is the purpose of the virus—to rapidly advance us in the direction of a healthier, more harmonious world by teaching us some hard lessons.
Even though it has caused much heartache, I believe that COVID-19 has the potential to change us for the better. I believe it has rapidly advanced us in the direction we need to move, if we choose to re-enter the world different than we were before. That’s my plan.
