The Cougar Kid: Optimism wears heavy boots and is loud

Today is now a month of quarantine for us. A month ago the reality of how crazy this might get became reality. Toilet paper was impossible to buy, panic buying stuff at stores. I think people should’ve been focus on masks or protective gear, because that is all but impossible to buy now. Trump has been insane on the actions to resolve the issue. I think, and might also just be wishful, that his actions and response, will cost him the re-election in November.

School is canceled for Chey, not sure if that was the case back when I last posted. Rachel has returned from Japan. Almost everyone I know who was abroad is now home in the USA. Seems like the grand plans we all had for ourselves have been either been axed or put on pause. I guess this is one of those “life is what happens when you’re busy making plans” lessons for everyone in the world.

That makes me think about what positives are going to result from a crisis like this. It’s too dang easy to focus on negatives, the deaths, the disruption, the economic collapse. I think every generation has something that sort of hardens them, allows them to persevere in hard times. These hard times haven’t come to stay, they have come to pass. The greatest generation had World War One. The silent generation had world war 2. The Boomers had Vietnam. Gen X had 9/11. Comparing the Covid-19 pandemic to all of these history shaping moment might be a bit premature, or even underwhelming. But a lot of millennials and gen z kids haven’t experienced real hardship yet in our lives. This might be the moment. The one that shapes people’s thoughts on healthcare, governmental assistance and so on. Tough times don’t last, tough people do. While the memes are great, and staying inside and not going out with folks seems simple, this is the first taste of a world without overwhelming privilege. He know not his own strength who hath not met adversity.

I think we’ve been spoiled up till now. This is a glimpse into a world that we haven’t known before. But we still sit at home and order groceries, order our Amazon packages with 2-Day shipping. How bad is it—really? We all have loved ones we worry for. I guess my approach about the thought of anyone I know— catching and having to really fight the virus— is this: I can wait in anticipation for something that doesn’t seem all that likely, or I can have faith that people are making the smart choices, even if they go outside into public. People have proven to come together in times, massive charitable actions have taken place. People supporting their neighbors. I’ve seen donations, schools come to support their children, companies making masks for fire fighters and police, people rallying around local business. It’s not all bad with a little bit of a lens change.

We are all growing through this as a people. We could always be more united in our world. Even though it seems like we are divided, there is one real enemy. And we face it all the same no matter our opinions on the world, the Rona is not selective in this regard. It’ll go for anyone. I think we all have one focus and that’s to return to a more improved, more prepared world. I know we will get there.

I look forward to the day we can all go out and do what we wish to do. Eat at a fancy restaurant with your family. Dance with strangers. Head out into the woods. Relax in the sun with your best friends. These are the things that make life worth living. I will have a new found respect for those times. But it doesn’t mean I can find what good there is in the darker times.

There is still overwhelming beautiful and life these days.

It’s never too gloomy to enjoy some time on a soft bed in the sun