There’s a bee that’s been in my bonnet for the duration of the pandemic. It’s about words. Specifically, the use (or shall we say, misuse) of words like lockdown and quarantine. Let’s put things in perspective: If you have been interacting with one or more human beings, you are not in quarantine. If you go […]
Laugh. Cry. Sing. Shout.
One year. One shocking, saddening, sobering, stressful year. It was last March when most of us (in the US) began sheltering-in-place. Thus began a flipbook of individual journeys that made up one collective sojourn. So what do you do when the pandemic isn’t over, but one year is? You know when sometimes you […]
Interpreting the Interpretations
I belong to a semi-exclusive club. Let’s call it the Invisible COVID Club, not because we have COVID, but because we’re petrified of getting it. We are the “people with underlying conditions.” If we get COVID-19 we’d likely end up all alone on a ventilator and quite possibly, worse. We’re already a statistic and don’t […]
Panic During the Pandemic
Everything is a little worse (or a little weirder) during the pandemic. Panic is no exception. With the pending US election, anxiety levels have been at an all-time high. Is this because this is considered to be the most consequential election of our lifetime? Is this because the United States is the most divided it […]
The Pain of Perspective
We hit 200,000 deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19 earlier this week. Despite the related infographics and headlines, it didn’t seem like anyone was too shocked. too bothered or too affected. There were other stories in the news and other items on our to do lists. There was a sense that we should be in […]
Thanks for the Melodies
Remember at the start of the pandemic when people were saying this was the ideal time to learn something new or adopt a new hobby? Hats off to all who mastered a new language, became mixologists or finally read that one Jane Austen novel that got left behind. Me? Not so much. I had intentions, […]
The New Normal? Try Again.
I’m not a fan of the phrase, the new normal. Aside from it feeling hackneyed, it’s also binding. And during a pandemic, we have enough restrictions, don’t we? If we say that the state we are in is the new normal, we give it permanence, even if it is subconsciously. There’s nothing normal about this time, nor […]
Through the Fire Into Alchemy
About 40 minutes into a virtual event with Dr. Anthony Fauci, a fire alarm went off at his office. It was likely a drill, but the real deal, complete with flashing lights and a blaring, robotic voice over a loudspeaker. It was like something out of a sit-com (think Space Force on Netflix). We’re all […]
Something Old, Something New, Something Familiar Sure Feels True
I watched Dirty Dancing the other night for what’s probably the 28th time. Despite a growing list of recommended shows and endless options from multiple streaming services, recently I find myself excitedly selecting something I’ve watched before. Correction, something I’ve watched many times before. As someone who specializes in organizational change communications, this shouldn’t surprise […]
Moments. They Don’t Last Forever.
Are moments the antidote to the seemingly never-ending pandemic? For those of us in the US who were not directly hit by death or illness related to COVID-19, the last four months have been an exercise in waiting. States across America — and most countries around the world over — began sheltering-in-place in the spring […]
