We rode into Glenwood Springs today. We had to choose our travel days carefully as storms (an atmospheric river) were rolling in from California. Seems the term atmospheric river has been around for a long time but is being used more regularly these days. Another will be following in a couple days. For us it required a close study of weather apps and traffic cameras.
Our Washington-Colorado Journey
Despite all the planning, we didn’t completely escape hazardous conditions. We started in fog and moved into snow over passes in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah. Just before crossing into Utah we came across blowing snow. Crews were actively building snow fences to mitigate the snow blowing. The right lane thankfully was mostly dry from traffic but the left was solid ice. I was surprised when a large white SUV quickly pulled up on my left going over 80 miles an hour. Even more surprised when they began to lose control and swerve toward me. I moved off into the shoulder just in time for them to totally lose control and flip 360 degrees behind me, off the highway and into the median. I am still replaying the scene in my head it was so unbelievable. A reminder of how vulnerable we can be on the road and how important it is the maintain 360 degrees of awareness.
It is great to be home again. Feels luxurious not to have to fiddle with the heat, stoke the fire, and adjust the electric wall heaters. We also don’t have to climb almost 100 stairs every time we go out. I say this knowing that the cabin would be luxurious to many; to people who don’t have a home at all and some who are just making ends meet. The change in levels of luxury provide me with a reminder to give thanks. Thanks for the opportunities and comforts we enjoy. We are blessed.
Within our days and our lifetime there are many things we aspire to accomplish. Long term goals and daily habits enter our mind and become wishes, hopes. While considering these future accomplishments we might picture ourselves basking in the light of enjoyment and/or completion. We might want to establish a discipline; of meditation, diet, weight loss, writing, music. We might picture ourselves in a home overlooking a lake, basking in the sun, finally in our dream location.
Goals and dreams are natural to many and can be useful for shaping our lives over time. They may never be accomplished but remain a regular fantasy throughout our days.
I believe the way in which we dream and fantasize has much to do with our accomplishment. If we want to take the goal further than the mind’s eye, there are some common pitfalls to consider. I am familiar with them from experience.
Placing our goal behind qualifications. If your meditation practice, for example, requires a particular setting, time, and conditions, you may never meet the right moment to begin. “I need this cushion, this altar, this temperature, a window, etc.” Accepting imperfect or basic conditions to begin, we are more likely to get our body to the mat.
Perfect accomplishment. If you have established a regular routine you will know that habits are refined through practice. In the beginning they often feel contrived, forced and uncomfortable. The first time I recited a Sutra prayer out loud I felt very odd. It took time to internalize the words, find a rhythm, and find meaning in them. “Perfection is the enemy of good enough”, a quote often attributed to Votaire, is a call to move our feet forward.
Intimidated by the act. Starting a habit or persisting may intimidate you. For me, writing is often a challenge to begin. The blank page doesn’t give me guidance or encouragement. It’s a little like jumping off a cliff into cold water. The anticipation of the shock (finding my voice in writing) can stop me in my tracks. The antidote requires jumping despite my hesitation; over and over and over again.
Intimidated by the scope of the act. I can get caught in the immensity of a goal. There are so many chords to learn, so many songs. It’s difficult to get my fingers in the right position not to mention moving them fast enough for the song. Singing and playing? Oh my god! I’ll never be able to accomplish that. These things are real but they don’t have to be accomplished in a single sitting. Can you enjoy the steps along the way. Truth be told, you probably won’t win a Grammy. Perhaps you need to revisit you purpose for playing.
Acceptance – Approval. Whether we struggle with approval from a voice inside or outside, the effect is the same. Closely related to our need for perfection, there is little we can do to satisfy this need except to acknowledge the green monster and move on. After recognizing the feeling of “not good enough”, we can do our practice despite it or even bring that energy into our practice.
Last week saw the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. With a change in administration comes an entirely new set of priorities in everything including Covid relief, health care, climate change, the economy, racism / racist policy, and international relations to name a few. As if these challenges weren’t already systemic and complex, it is unclear is how we will move forward, out of the cloud of disinformation and extremism. Problems like these require a proactive approach but in order to be proactive we need accurate and defensible information. Our interdependence… call it shared fate, requires unity and a willingness to cooperate in the face of these extreme problems. Will we face these problems united?
“…without unity there is no peace, only bitterness and fury, no progress, only exhausting outrage, no nation, only a state of chaos. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge. And unity is the path forward. Hear me clearly: Disagreement must not lead to disunion.“
Joe Biden – Inauguration on Jan 20, 2021
As I watched the swearing in and listened to the speakers, ministers, singers and poets I am encouraged to believe that we can repair the damage; damage in our confidence, in our institutions and in each other. Harris and Biden have the knowledge and skills in government that can help us repair the damage to agencies and their dedicated staff but they cannot succeed without the will of us all. I hope our representatives find consensus within the opposition, a willingness to rally resources that serve the needs of ALL people. People want to work, feed and support themselves and their families. But right now they need help. Better to put out immediate fires of the economy than let them build and consume it to the point of no return.
There are already questions about what and how the legislative agenda will be organized. How will the Biden administration balance a progressive agenda with mainstream agendas? How will they develop support from the ranks of Republicans; especially those that want to continue the assault on anything “democratic”. Acknowledging that a significant number of people question the legitimacy of the election, we need to find a way to restore faith in our government. What started as a “Tea Party”, questioning the need for taxes, has grown into a movement with a range of demands, roots in alternative facts*, not to mention name calling and disrespect. We need to understand the source of this dissatisfaction while we dispel lies.
Now that the incessant messages of the Trump administration have been quieted, it will be interesting to see how “alternative facts” are promoted. While there is no such thing as an alternative fact, it is essential that we practice and teach ourselves methods for separating fact from fiction.
In the early days of the Internet I considered digital literacy an important skill for children in our school district. At the time it seemed like a good idea. Now I would say it is a matter of survival. Without this basic skill, the long term survival of democracy, not to mention our health, is at risk. We need look no further than the misinformation that has been spread alongside the spread of Covid-19. If people can be led astray on something as essential as their personal health, then anything seems possible. Digital literacy isn’t about telling people what to believe, but giving them tools to separate opinion from fact and fact from fiction.
“Alternative facts” was a phrase used by U.S. Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway during a Meet the Press interview on January 22, 2017, in which she defended White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s false statement about the attendance numbers of Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States. When pressed during the interview with Chuck Todd to explain why Spicer would “utter a provable falsehood”, Conway stated that Spicer was giving “alternative facts”. Todd responded, “Look, alternative facts are not facts. They’re falsehoods.” – Wikipedia
Distancing, sheltering, pandemic, covid-19, safe at home, face mask, ventilator, virus testing; these are a few of the terms entered into our vocabulary over the past 4 or 5 weeks. Entering the year 2020, who would have guessed that these would be the most used words in our language. In January and February China struggled with it’s response to the coronavirus (before it was named covid-19). At that point, it was but one headline in the usual fountain of news we have come to expect. And then came March.
March 13th – a US national emergency was declared.
March 19th – nearly all US states declared a state of emergency.
March 22nd – about 1 in 3 Americans were under lockdown with 12 states issuing stay-at-home orders.
March 26th – Colorado joined the ranks with it’s own stay-at-home order.
Tomorrow will be April 1st. We will be in the 7th day of the Colorado stay at home order. At this point some of the novelty is wearing off and people (even our President) are realizing that we will likely be in this mode for many weeks to come. We are trying to digest and accept the predictions; 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 10 weeks? Suffice it to say that there is no end in sight until there is a downturn in the infection rate. We are watching for glimmers of hope even as our hearts sink for the people on the hospital front line; in New York and New Jersey, Washington, California and other hospitals we haven’t even heard of. All are on alert, many are over run or preparing to be over run.
Meanwhile, in homes across the country people are trying to establish new routines within restrictions. Many people I have talked with describe this experience as surreal. And it’s no wonder. We are fighting an enemy that we cannot see. An enemy that requires knowledge beyond what most of us have. We’re dependent upon the knowledge of scientists and experts in disease around the world. Their advice has become invaluable to our leaders and government, guiding them to make hard choices. Reluctantly the “choice” is to restrict choice; to restrict our freedom for our own good and for the greater good.
Here, in my neighborhood, we are abiding by the restrictions even as we try and locate the boundaries. We are staying in and around home, doing home improvement projects, working in the yard, taking walks, and shopping when we have to. Even though these are routines we are familiar with, they have taken on a new feel and they come with new limits. No longer are we fitting home activities into our busy work and social lives. No longer are we spending time planning the next vacation or family holiday party. No longer are we worshiping in person with our chosen congregation (sangha for us Buddhists). We are trying to be creative, to connect with others, to be productive within the physical limits of home.
Thanks to our public servants
This slowdown, these restrictions, along with the steady stream of news bulletins also bring angst, a feeling of loss and dread. First we know that there ARE people dying. There are people risking their lives for our health. There are people without jobs and all the loss that will come. We are pained by the sickness, chaos and loss that surrounds us… while we stay at home.
This is a test of our collective mettle. It is a test of our creativity and determination. Can we find ways to meet our needs (economic, psychological and social) and support people in need from the confines of our homes? Can we be patient over the long term, with our family, with the best advice from our leaders? Can we find appreciation for each other?
As this crisis continues into the weeks and months ahead, how will we manage our emotions? Sadly, Americans are prone to blame when things get rough. Can we hold our leaders accountable (as we should) while staying focused on our personal responsibility to make things better?
No playing here.
It is time for people to support one another, locally and worldwide, business and government. With our aspirations, our money and our time, we can stay informed and contribute to our recovery. We are learning that the health and welfare of the individual has an impact on the welfare of our country. I hope concern for others will spring from the confines of our isolation.
In times of crisis people are motivated to watch out for themselves. We’re hardwired to survive. It’s a primal reaction for self preservation. When there is a threat, the instinct is intense.
On the other hand, humans have evolved to value community. This is the recognition that we are interdependent; my survival depends upon a group on whom I rely. Our willingness to work for the greater good operates in tandem with selfish motivations. The Dalai Lama calls this being “wise selfish”. Interdependence – the web of dependent links that we have created through social arrangements (business, government, formal and informal) is being put on display right now. One change leads to another. What other conclusion is there but, “we’re all in this together”.
I’m going to sidestep the debate about whether we are more selfish or community minded. Most of us exercise different instincts depending on prevalent conditions; including personal, generational, and situational. A crisis (especially of this scale) is a situation that calls people to step up and do their best for themselves AND their community. The crisis calls us, motivates us, to do our best work in the service of our community. The question is, are we addressing the most critical needs of people who are most critical to OUR survival?
The people who are carrying this crisis at the moment are the health care workers and support staff on the front lines. Are we doing enough to support their work.? Since 9/11 we have legitimately paid homage to our firefighters and first responders. I doubt that much money has flowed to them but they have been honored as critical members of our community. Many of us have the same admiration and appreciation for the hospital staff but there is real concern that they are not getting the tangible resources that they deserve (to serve our community). Reports abound on this topic. We are risking the lives of our health care workers at this very moment. Losing them to the virus or to burnout is not only criminal but irrational.
“In the area of testing we are still not creating capacity and applying it to the people most in need. So we have health workers who are symptomatic who can’t get a test. They don’t know if they should go in or not go in. And yet we have lots of testing given to people who are not symptomatic.” – Bill Gates – March 24, 2020.
The essential missing resources are: 1. Adequate Staff, 2. Tests to determine when a staff member is infected, 3. Protective gear, 4. Ventilators, 5. Space for people who are infected (ICU and quarantine) and space for those who are not infected but require medical help.
The economy unraveling
Reading current economic forecasts, opinions vary, but the majority of economists describe an increasing drop in consumption related to unemployment related to sheltering for safety due to the increase in Covid-19 infection and death rates. While some sectors have remained in business and others may find ways to work safely, we are in the early stages of understanding what is safe. Testing, when it becomes widespread, will be a legitimate tool to chart a safe economic response. As reliable information (who is infected, how is it spreading, what regions require support) is available, I expect the creative and entrepreneurial instinct of people will find ways to provide service and build novel businesses. An economic rebound will rely on this creativity and on government to support their initiatives.
It is safe to say that the coming days will require sacrifice. No matter how long this pandemic persists, we will have to navigate the mysteries and perils of Covid infection while picking up the pieces of the world economy. While everyone agrees that we need to be strategic the way we manage the economy, there are already major disagreements on who comes first. Expect a repeat of the debate leading to the 2 trillion dollar bill that was just passed. Money for people, small business or corporations?
“This is why governments are now responding on a massive scale. In addition to the magnitude of policy response, governments need to get their focus right, targeting effectively to support the most vulnerable links in the economy. What has been announced so far is just the beginning–there will be much more to come.” – Forbes
Triage for the economy
The question is what are the most vulnerable links. Is it the unemployed, small business, healthcare (including preparation for repeated infections), or corporations? Will we assume that corporations are most important to economic recovery? Will we feel compelled to compensate them for their losses. Or should we support the poor, the middle class, small and medium sized business? All of us have lost, to greater or lesser degrees. How to we rebuild our community of services?
We can hope that conditions will not be as dire as I have described but it is safe to say that we will be facing a recovery, the likes we have not seen since the depression. Granted it will be different than the depression of the 30s but policies will need to be aimed at jobs, unemployment, housing, health care and other basic human services. It is safe to say that we won’t have as much “disposable” income (what a horrible term) on the other side of this crisis and that people will need support for housing, education, and health care to name a few.
As the dust settles and we emerge from our shelter in place, the question will remain – Can we resist selfish (individualistic) impulses and respond a community-minded fashion?
