Working Through the Stages
My friends and family can confirm that I’m an action oriented person. I don’t spend much time sitting in contemplation (though I probably should.) I certainly have my contemplative moments, most of them while cultivating the soil. So when this virus ordeal smacked our area and my employer made the call to close the business, I immediately pivoted to my next move: identifying new mowing customers, seeking out folks who wanted my consulting services and getting really creative in finding ways to cover the lost income. That response is a result of 15 years of EMS. Identify the problem. Address the problem. Remedy the problem. Feelings later (if at all.) So while I’m able to take the long view on most things, my focus has been quite direct on securing things in the near-term. Then I realized today that I’ve actually been working through a sort of delayed grief process.…
Navigating the Shift
Thoughts and Realizations… I’ve operated with a preparedness, homesteading and frugality mindset for most of my adult life. Even with all the skills I’ve obtained and the progress I’ve made (paying off debt, for example) the effects of the pandemic have still caught me a little off guard. I guess we all operate within normalcy bias. It’s always been in the back of my mind that an economic disruption or even collapse was probable in my lifetime. The main issue I’m trying to work around is how isolating this version of it is. My plan, should we start to see breakdowns in services, was to organize locally with my friends, neighbors and family to address whatever needed to be handled. But with the need to self quarantine, we’ve got a committee of two here to get more actions and plans in place. Fortunately it’s spring and there’s no shortage of…