This pandemic has been a terrible time in America. An absence of leadership and a lack of a coordinated, national plan for attacking this virus have placed Americas in great peril.
Americans make up just 4% of the world’s population, yet we have more than 25% of all COVID-19 deaths.
Nearly 190,000 Americans have lost their lives to COVID-19. More than 1,000 are dying every day. Many, many more have battled the disease and now suffer from its longterm impacts.
Some will struggle with the impact of COVID-19 for the rest of their lives.
On top of all this, more than 20 million Americans are out of work. One in six small business have gone out of business.
All of this is to say that I understand the costs associated with this pandemic.
But as I prepare to return to the classroom for the first time since March 13, I find myself thinking back on the past six months of pandemic living and all the changes that it has brought to my life.
Specifically those little silver linings amongst the impossibly dark thunderclouds.
As I am wont to do, I made a list. May I suggest you consider making one, too? The exercise might life your spirit a bit (as it did mine) and allow you to see a more complete picture of your life.
In times like these, it’s hard to not focus on the tragic impacts of this pandemic. Justifiably so. But seeking some glimmers of hope and progress is important, too.
My Pandemic Silver Linings
- I started eating and loving raisins. When food became scarce back in March and April as grocery stores emptied, raisins were in abundant supply, so I bought them in abundance and quickly fell in love with them. They are now a go-to snack.
- When the gym closed, I turned to biking and fell in love with something I adored as a child. I’m biking 10-15 miles per day, and since March 13, I’ve biked every single day with the exception of a handful of days when I was injured or the weather made it impossible. I’m not sure if I’ll ever return to the gym.
- I cook more than ever before. I’ve made egg sandwiches, omelettes, pancakes, burgers, hot dogs, pasta dishes, swordfish, steak, and several Hello Fresh meals. I don’t love cooking, but I feel more competent than ever before, and I’m happy to lift some of the load from Elysha’s shoulders.
- I bank online. I’d shifted everything from deposits to our mortgage refinancing entirely online. I’m not sure if I’ll ever enter a bank branch again.
- Elysha, Charlie, and I have watched more movies and television than ever before. We watched every Marvel movie in chronological order. We’ve watched many of the Star Wars films in order. We’ve been exposing Charlie to movies from our youth – The Goonies, The Karate Kid, ET: The Extraterrestrial, and many more. In addition, Elysha and I have been watching movies that we’ve been wanting to see forever. We’ve also watched television series and documentaries that we have adored, too. Schitt’s Creek. Watchmen. The Last Dance
- I’ve shifted my consulting and storytelling and public speaking instruction online. Rather than meeting with storytelling students in person and flying around the country to consult with corporations, universities, and government agencies, I find myself sitting in my home office, meeting with people all over the word via Zoom. Storytellers in Asia, Australia, Central America, Europe, Canada, and dozens of US states. Fortune 100 corporations. IT security specialists in the Midwest. Filmmakers on the west coast. I never thought I’d ever consider moving my instruction and consulting to teleconferencing, but now it’s hard to not imagine it remaining a staple of my business.
- I’ve made many new friends all over the world. People in Chicago, Seattle, Singapore, Montreal, Australia, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Austin, New York, and so many more. I’ve spent countless hours with these amazing people, listening to their stories, earning their trust, and proudly calling them my friends.
- I’ve gotten to know the neighbors better. Dinners on the front lawn during the early days of the pandemic afforded us to meet and spend more time with our neighbors than ever before, and the results have been lovely.
- I’ve performed in virtual shows around the world. Six countries and at least a dozen states. I’ve expanded my reach and my audience considerably.
- I’ve used the time at home to increase the amount of reading and studying that I do relative to my investment portfolio. I understand the market and the businesses in which I invest better than ever before, and the results have been excellent in terms of my portfolio.
- I’ve dedicated some of the time I suddenly have in the absence of travel, restaurants, theater, museums, and the like to my golf game, where social distancing is simple and the pandemic does not change the game very much. As a result, I’ve improved considerably and become possibly obsessed in the process.
- The reduction in restaurant and fast food dining, in addition to relentless biking and healthy snacking like raisins has allowed me to lose more than 20 pounds since the beginning of the year.
- I taught my kids to ride their bikes without training wheels and made family bike rides a regular part of our lives.
- The cats are exceptionally happy to have us around more often.
- We’ve invested the money they we would’ve spent traveling to the west coast and Niagara Falls into our home, replacing windows, adding window treatments, installing central air conditioning, adding patio furniture, upgrading our landscaping, and more. As a result, my previously unused office is not habitable, most of our meals are eaten outdoors, and all of those dreadful air conditioners that once hung from windows around the house are gone. While I would’ve preferred to visit our friends in Seattle and visit San Fransisco and other locales, this has been a decent trade.
This list is not an attempt to mitigate or forget the tragedy of the pandemic. It’s simply an attempt to raise my spirits a bit by giving myself permission to look for silver linings. When the days seem especially dark and things are hard, which I suspect will happen more often now that we are returning to the classroom, this list will serve as a reminder that all is not lost. Hope springs eternal.
There is always light.
Stay safe and well, friends.
