My word for 2020 is BALANCE. I shared this on the Rooted Minds blog before where I said that in order for me to be balanced I must first be rooted in a stable foundation (we will get back to this in a bit). With the Quarantine, COVID-19 Virus and life as we know it totally changing, this word is more important now than ever before.
This is a new normal for us all, It is different then anything we have ever experienced. Many peoples' worlds are completely being turned upside down, while others are finally waking up to the injustices around them, some are blinded by their past normal that they are selfishly choosing self, while a latter of people are strapped in waiting out the storm. Here I will explain all four types of people and let you make the judgment to which you identify as, this comes from observation, a lot of introspection, and thanks to my BA in Communication, knowledge about social & behavioral norms. Let’s dig in!
The first group of people mentioned are the ones who are living Topsy turnsy, let’s call this Group Y. Group Y has lived in a bubble most of their lives, only seeing things face value, rarely exploring other groups outside their own, and typically unaware of the world around them. They normally believe everything they read, see, or hear because it is always from “a reliable source” code name, someone in their inner circle or with similar beliefs. Group Y people are currently having a melt down, they are fearful, have acted out of a survival lens (all the people who purchased ALL the toilet paper, we know who you are), and are currently living in anxiety. There is no criteria to be in this group. Y people come from all demographics; money, position, age, or ethnic group does not matter, the main concern is self. “How do I take care of MINES?”
The second group of people are the ones who are fighting the good fight of injustices, let’s call this group Superman. Superman is consistently sharing information all on their social media, FaceBook, IG, Twitter you name it. They care about others and want to make sure everyone is well informed, even if some of the information shared is actually inaccurate (again, we know who you are). Superman people are using their platforms no matter how small to get people to know “what is really happening behind closed doors”, (which let’s be real, people outside the cookout only know what is being cooked by the smell, but remember our noses can be deceiving). Superman truly has a good heart, but can never measure up (come on they’re no Batman ;), they actually might be doing more harm than good because how trigger happy they are to share, repost, and retweet information that is not real. There is no criteria to be in this group. Superman comes from all demographics; money, position, age, or ethnic group does not matter, the main concern is other people need to be aware. “How do I share this information?”
Third group, which is the group I want to believe I least identify with is “Carl” (yes I am referencing Rick's Son, Carl from the Walking Dead). Carl is the Florida type of person (need I say more)? You know the ones who believed this wasn’t a big deal, still believe this isn’t a big deal, and once we overcome this will think this was all a hoax. Carl people are hosting actual parties, are inviting people over for dinner, and to Netflix & Chill. They are disregarding all the recommendations because they can do whatever they want and how dare anyone tell them otherwise (We’re in AMERICA) or if that’s too much for you (You are violating my civil right to hang out with my friends). Carl people are in this fantasy world that nothing has changed and that most people are just living in fear and are over analyzing the whole thing. They are truly living their best lives. There is no criteria to be in this group. Carl comes from all demographics; money, position, age, or ethnic group does not matter, the main concern is how do I continue my normalcy. “Where da white women at?”
The last group, let's call Balance. This group of people have safely kept themselves quarantine because they realize that the 24 hrs new cycle is running rampant with a lot of misinformation as well as accurate. The Balance group are other focused, they are waiting patiently in their homes until they hear from the CDC or WHO that the coast is clear. They are not taking chances by hanging around others, or by sharing misinformation.
So most of the information shared has been vetted and is proved accurate. This group of people are rooted in a strong and immovable foundation. They are doing the best they can to stay sane, anxious free, and keep some sense of normalcy while keeping a sweet 6 ft distance from the other people in their homes. There is no criteria to be in this group. Balance comes from all demographics; money, position, age, or ethnic group does not matter, the main concern is we can overcome. “How may I serve others? By staying inside.”
We may be able to identify with all four, or maybe like me, you change groups depending on the day. The important thing to ask is where your foundation is? Regardless of which group you fall into, your foundation has to be in something that is stable, something strong, or believe it or not, you will fall for anything. I hope through this we can all leave this quarantine seeing that we are better, believing in our own strength, and become more other focused. Please do yourself and everyone else a favorite, DO NOT LEAVE THIS QUARANTINE THE SAME WAY YOU WENT IN.
Happy Quarantine!