Stop Seeing the World Through "COVID Goggles"
A large component of my community serves; some serve their community, some, their country. The bulk of my own family, on all sides, have also served. Some are still serving; as soldiers, police officers, corrections officers, paramedics, fire fighters, nurses, crisis responders, and counsellors. This is the community that sees us through our crises. Some are broken, as result. Some, in their brokenness are fighting battles you know nothing about; because they fight, some with God at their sides, and some without; quietly and fiercely, while still serving you and protecting you. This is the community that will see us through this global pandemic. This is community, along with other essential services workers, who will restore health, wellness, peace and some semblance of normality to our lives, when this is all said and done. Some of them, will do this while fighting these battles; putting you first, ahead of their own needs.
To do this though, they need to be able to utilize the limited coping skills that they have; tools that they need, to fight these battles so, they can keep fighting for you. These tools and coping strategies, already few and far between, due to the nature of their work, are getting fewer and further between, as this pandemic continues. They have had to give up things like; going to the gym, attending church, attending AA or NA meetings (for those with addictions issues, caused by their service to you), counselling, physical therapy and other coping or self-care strategies they once used to continue to be able to serve you. As a result, they’re struggling harder and harder to maintain some semblance of strength; even those with great Faith, are struggling, because they are still serving you, or gearing up to serve you throughout this pandemic. They are still needed, and still answer the call, despite this. They still serve you, despite that, they are also going through the pandemic and its accompanying emotions, like you are; while fighting these other battles and monsters, and continuing to serve you. Battles that you know nothing about. Because you’ve never served, as they do. And yet, you have (sometimes unknowingly) openly griped about them on social media, call the police on them while they were working out (taking all precautions necessary so, they don’t get sick, and can continue to serve you). And, you have ignored their needs, in pursuit of your own odd, ‘justice’, without knowing that they were the ones that would be delivering said justice. They were the ones that would be serving you, protecting you, helping you, healing you, and saving you; saving you from yourselves, it seems.
I know people are afraid, but they need to stop seeing the whole world through "COVID Goggles"; where their perception of reality is based on fear, because of this disease. They need to remember to take a moment to think before reacting. To first, consider who it is, you are judging. Take a moment to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Take a step back before reacting, and try to lead from a place of understanding, rather than fear. You never know who you’re encountering; who you are griping about, or who you’re calling the police on. All you have is your perception; a small piece of the puzzle of their story. How do you know that, the person, or persons that you are calling out, aren’t the ones that are going to save your lives one day? How do you know they're not the frontline soldiers fighting for your way of life?