I love movies… Men in Black had Will Smith (Agent J) and Tommy Lee Jones (Agent K) fighting the Arquillian’s who were bent on retrieving Orion from ‘the Bug’. Well, my favorite line is when K brings back to reality about their role in life. He tells J… “ There’s always an Arquillian Battle Cruiser, or a Corillian Death Ray, or an intergalactic plague that is about to wipe out all life on this miserable little planet, and the only way these people can get on with their happy lives is that they DO NOT KNOW ABOUT IT!”
Up until March 13, 2020, we did not really know about the threats to us related to Covid19 (or for another day the continual police brutality that played out on TV as we sequestered). We went about our lives….New Years, Dr. King’s birthday, Valentine’s Day, Zulu Ball, Mardi Gras. Then our lives came to a halt.
The threat became real.
The Coronavirus was here.
The questions began. How long had it been around? How did it get here? Did Mardi Gras cause the spread? Did I have it when I got sick? These were all questions we did not know the answers to. The leadership of the country did not help. Governors, mayors, congresspersons, and the man on the corner all began to prognosticate and obfuscate on what it takes to protect yourself. The conversations alluded to 5G in the atmosphere as spreading the virus. Black people cannot get it. It was only Chinese people. It was biological warfare fueled by China. The rumors, the conspiracy theories, and the misinformation swirled long before we could get accurate information.
This was just the beginning. As people began to digest the situation we saw people hoarding toilet paper and water. No more Lysol and bleach. But there was no threat of gustatory issues or diet issues. Water was not contaminated but people were grabbing and reaching for something to make sense of what they, or better said, we were experiencing.
Then the experts began to come out. Dr. Anthony Fauci. Dr. Birx. And even locally, Dr. Corey Hebert, Dr. Eric Griggs, Dr. MarkAlain Dery, and Dr. Avegno, finally came forward to flood our airwaves and television screens with real factual information about how and where to find information to make good decisions about Covid19.
The Path Forward
As we continue to endure and survive this pandemic this is where I offer a sound psychological perspective. First and foremost, in order to stay sane, it will take accurate information, not Facebook, not Twitter, definitely not Fox News and unfortunately not even our own President. We should be looking to The Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, our local health departments. But finally, our experts, who have been doing the work, was giving us the information necessary to survive.
This first premise is rooted in the understanding that depression, anxiety, panic, and fear are based on unrealistic assessments of the information that can threaten us. Just like Agent J (Will Smith) in Men in Black, we panicked when he felt that there was not way out. We did not know where to turn for what to do in the midst of the trial. We became fearful that we would all meet our demise due to a lack of protection (otherwise known as PPE, personal protection equipment). We then settled into our homes. Locked away from St. Patrick’s Day, St. Joseph’s Day, Juneteenth, and the almighty summer pilgrimage of Black Excellence we know as Essence Festival.
The Next Move
I would like to think that this will all just ‘poof’ go away with the heat, some bleach, and some ultraviolet light but that is fantasy. The reality is that this pandemic will have some clear impacts and there are many that we cannot begin to fathom. Most notably will be a very likely Covid Stress Reaction Syndrome. This will likely follow, like most diagnostic responses, any threats to our physical health will likely be met by a swift social slow down and reaction to stop the ‘nextcovid?’ from reaching our shores.
We as a society, of individuals, will be likely to find ourselves at every turn, every cough, and every medical issue will serve to active our natural sense to self-preserve… in other words we will likely all have a heightened sense of any and all medical issues until there is some serious leadership in determining a modern system of healthcare and preventative practices are put in place to help settle us into a state of trust. I will discuss trust more as that word embodies a mountain of hopes and wishful thinking that can be lost if we don’t take the right next steps.
We, as a species, are constantly under attack. Whether it be pending war, medical issues, worldwide economic collapse, or our unhealthy lifestyles that keep us distracted. We are actually more capable of strengthening our resolve at this moment than at any other moment. You may ask why? Well, the why is because our collective attention is now focused on our individual but undeniably our collective survival? Ubuntu states that “I am because we are,” or “humanity towards others,” and this is where we find ourselves. Across every facet of our lives, we must now understand the natural connectivity that we have. Our lives are very much in our own hands, but we are also at the mercy of others.
Our lives revolve around trust. As stated earlier trust embodies a hope, a wishful thinking that I or we believes that ourselves and our fellow humans will act humanely towards each other. At this time we should view the acts of disobedience in the midst of this pandemic as acts against humanity. It’s not civilly disobedient to take over a state capital to get a haircut or to go to the spa. But it is worthy to fight in line at the polls for our constitutional right to vote our choice. The complexities of Covid19 and our existence is intertwined and an example of what happens when we are distracted. We lose trust. We forget how to trust. We don’t know who to trust. That leads to anxiety. Panic. Depression. Despair. As we sit down it is imperative that we recognize that the greatest tool to combat this lack of trust is for each person in society to become trustworthy of themselves and others. We need our students to follow the local ordinances and not have parties that violate our guidelines. We need our school district to make the right decisions regarding our children’s educational and life futures. We need our government to make the right decisions regarding services and access to support in these trying times. If not. It’s going to manifest in future generations. Our young people right now are witnessing not just the pandemic, but they also are watching us. If they see us not trust, then how will we expect them to trust. And if we are not trustworthy in our roles then they will simply adopt the same ideals and faulty patterns of behaviors, thoughts, and beliefs.
It is very likely that the immediate impact will be increased negative physical and mental health outcomes. Directly we will see more depression, anxiety, and panic. We will begin to see the exacerbation of symptoms and distress in those who experiences psychological distress as time moves on. It is of great import that those most vulnerable are provided with assistance and support as soon as possible. It is of greater note that the pandemic’s untimely growth occurs with competing issues for resources as the long simmering issues of Black Lives Matter, MeToo, and police brutality simmer over to the mainstream without filters. The effects of this pandemic only provides increased fuel to fire as we all are tuned in at some point. So, it serves to suffice that the next step is to identify triggers during this time. Identify healthy outlets. Make sure that you are trusting yourself and find those you can trust and support each other. Make yourself available, as best you can, to others. Our society is changing, not our culture. I am because we are… I cannot fail and if I do not fail you cannot. Let us lean on each other and reaffirm our humanity. That way we can come out of this pandemic stronger. Even more invested in our survival. Individually. And Collectively. We will take this experience and cultivate a response that will hold us down and stand the test of time.
The Here and Now
But we have resolve. A few of us failed to remember that until we are clear of the threat we have to act as if the Arquillian battleship is there to destroy us. However, we are beginning to see what we were told by the experts. There has been a surge of new infections. But the death rate is lowered. The move for a vaccine is forging ahead. Folks are still figuring the new normal but toilet paper is on the shelves. Water remains stocked in our local grocery stores. People are working to have socially distanced, masked, and careful outings that do not violate our local ordinances.
So, we persevere. With accurate information first and foremost, it allows the larger population to make reasonable decisions about what we should be doing to protect ourselves, protect those we hold close and dear to us, and to protect those we do not know. I want to share that our pandemic and the response is complicated enough with the impending threats but just like the bible instructs, Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting get understanding… King James Version. So, the first line of defense going forward is to get accurate information, get wisdom, get understanding.
Where do we go from here?
As I stated, please get accurate information. That means once again taking time to make sure that you are not getting Russian Bot propaganda, Left wing or right-wing propaganda, or some wild QAnon conspiracy theories that aliens are being used to make medicine.
Next, work to create normalcy in your life. Your schedule, your travel plans, your interactions with family, your work-life balance, childcare, dates with your significant other, spending time to socially distance with family and friends.
Next, find ways to be creative with your leisure activities. Seeing families riding bikes, playing outside, creating gardens, doing home improvement tasks, or just playing in the water are all ways to create leisure and fun and staying within the parameters of our current dynamic.
And lastly, it is time to begin to plan for tomorrow. This time has brought many of us to a different view on life and the issues that we think are important. There is not time to spare now as we see just how precious our time but more importantly our lives are. With the potential demise of any one of our loved ones or even ourselves, it means tomorrows plans need to be made today. Although we know our plans can change or be disrupted, at the least, when we know the path that we want to take we can continue to work towards our goals.
