I read a medium article earlier that used this phrase "The Great Pause" to describe the present reality with Covid.
The virus, although it's a clear and undebatable tragedy for so many, is the exhale that everyone said that they were looking for. It's the oxford comma in the middle of the sentence. It's the top of the rollercoaster when the chain stops clicking and you're waiting to see what's next.
The pause has brought some of us back to our families. It's brought some of us back to our dogs, who used to put their tail between their legs every morning as we walked out of the front door, laying down and waiting to spend the day alone.
The pause has also forced a lot of us to take a look at something that's easy to ignore during the "hustle."
Ourselves.
It is so easy to ignore the tough, self-reflective questions when we have infinite things to distract ourselves with. It's impossible to ask yourself what you really want in life when all you're focused on is getting off of the subway that you're sardined into on your way home. Then once you're home you almost start asking yourself the tough questions but dinner needs to be cooked, you still have to work out, and what about spending the quality time with your friends/family/ or spouse? And what about that unread text message from your mom or dad that you still need to answer? And what about the pile of clothes on the chair in your room?
Ok, say you finished all of that shit. But now you're 5k tired and with the little time left in the day maybe you want to sit down and journal or read. But the phone buzzes again and you're thrown down a rabbit hole of whatever. You put it down and go to sleep.
Rinse. Repeat.
And the crazy thing is, is that the routine I just described was for the most fortunate and privileged among us. The ones in sandbox mode. Survival isn't exactly tough for us, but somehow we grind and occupy ourselves to the point of not having time for anything we consider important.
So I, for one, have been so thankful for this time. I've spent more time with my parents than I have since high school. Maybe more time than I'll ever get to spend with them again. I've spent time (virtually) with the people I care about. I've spent almost a full month with the woman I love. I've been able to develop a work schedule I'm comfortable with, rediscover some outdoor hobbies, learn card games, read, learn some more, write, and sleep.
So I guess what I'm saying is that, there is no doubt that a lot of people are suffering right now, whether it's from the disease, a job layoff, or any of those things happening to a family member. And there is no doubt that this disease is causing horrors around the world.
But it's also giving some people the time to take the pause that they needed to reexamine, reconnect, and reprioritize what's important to them.
Enjoy it if you have the privilege.
I'll leave you with this quote from Tuesdays With Morrie:
We’re so wrapped up with egotistical things, career, having enough money, meeting the mortgage, getting a new car-- we’re involved in trillions of little acts just to keep going. So we don't get into the habit of standing back and looking at our lives and saying, is this all? Is this all I want? Is something missing? You need someone to probe you in that direction.
