The world is taking a break from expectations of success and productivity
My newsfeeds are full of posts and ads on how to have it all. I'm not sure what about my digital trail has lead to all this stuff about getting rich and crafting a perfect life, but it's a thing.
These articles and ads on how to achieve wild success seem preposterous when mixed in with posts about care work. It's hard to get seduced by the idea of easy victories when the reality of the impossible expectations placed on family care workers and PCAs is staring me in the face every day.
Ever since covid-19 has taken over the news, my newsfeed has gotten ever so slightly less preposterous. People who typically tout shifts in mindset and other simple changes as the ultimate solutions to all our problems are suddenly feeling comfortable opening up about how much they're struggling to get through each day.
It's easy to think you've figured it all out when things happen to be going well. Yes, lots of the tools people advocate are helpful, but they're not enough when the rubber meets the road.
People are crumbling as covid-19 forces them to face the uncertainty of living a life where they're aware of the reality of human suffering and mortality, our precarious finances and lack of healthcare access, and making decisions in a maze of shifting and contradictory information on things of critical importance.
That uncertainty is something you've long been familiar with.
The same people who nag you to make time for #selfcare are suddenly wearing the same pair of sweatpants for a week, haven't showered, haven't done any 'real' work, but instead have been binging Netflix and binge eating. Or they're struggling to keep an eye on the kids while working from home. Or can't stop crying. Or are hysterical about the thought of leaving their house. Or are finding ways to turn healthy activities like cleaning and working out into something so extreme it's problematic.
It's almost like there aren't easy answers after all.
PS. I hear everyone is watching a show about tigers, but I highly recommend videos of jellyfish. It's not a show, jellyfish are just really cool.
PPS. My friends have rediscovered the telephone like it's 1998, which has me spending more time than usual looking idly out the window. Right now the squirrels in Calgary are losing their winter coat and it looks like they're all wearing little fluffy pants. I'm sorry I haven't gotten a good picture of this to share with you. Squirrel pants are not as cool as jellyfish, but are still pretty great.
PPPS. If you asked for a forum login and I haven't replied, it's because Adrienne and I are debating pulling the plug. I know, we just brought it back! But it seems like people are pretty content using Facebook and the internet doesn't need another ghost town.