Finding the Silver Lining

Does adapting lead us to numbness?

A few days ago Governor Cuomo said Emotion is a luxury, right? To be angry is a luxury. We don’t have that luxury right now. Let’s just deal with the facts, let’s just get through it.”

Is this the right response? It's a very New York way to think about it, put your head down and grind through it. My dad always told me to "Embrace the suck". There's traffic and you're late? Embrace the suck. You have to come home from abroad because of a virus? Embrace the suck. But after being in Italy for 8 short weeks I learned to view daily life and tribulations in a different way. 

Italians have a way of slowing things down and enjoying the little things that make life personal, something I think us New Yorkers don't do enough of. In Italy shopping for vegetables is a form of socializing with your neighborhood vender, your 25 minute commute to class is quicker than expected because you're distracted by conversations between a father and daughter and the beautiful store fronts that line your walk. In my short time in Rome I did adapt, but it didn't numb me from the uncomfortable unfamiliarity but by studying it and partaking in the world around me I gained new confidence and excitement in the uncharted territory.

I am approaching this pandemic and quarantining with that same attitude. Adapting doesn't lead to numbness, adapting leads to understanding and opportunity. Opportunities to find the silver lining and create a new narrative out of something uncomfortable and unfamiliar. When I first got to Italy, I really struggled with my mental health because I was so uncomfortable being at a new university and living in a foreign city with a foreign culture. My initial reaction was to deny I was uncomfortable and bottle up my emotions. This only lead to a grand explosion of emotions a couple weeks later. If we don't try to process our realities, they become overwhelming and trap us. Especially in a time where we are physically trapped inside our homes with limited social interaction the last thing we should do is bottle up our feelings. 

I think this global crisis can be viewed as an opportunity for connecting, experimenting, learning, mastering, focusing, and reflecting. I think this is a great test to see if working from home is plausible for myself and to see how I have adapted to the lifestyle. Naturally I don't go out much so this social distancing isn't too hard for me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy going shopping and getting lunch with friends and family, but one can only do that so much. I miss babysitting and making money but eventually all the parents will have to go back to work, and I will be back spending my days watching over their kids. I think everyone is blowing this out of proportion, there is a lot to be appreciative for in this time. If you find yourself saying "I'm bored", consider how another person may be complaining that they can't smell or taste anything and that it is hard to breathe. 

In life, someone always has it worse than you. If you take for granted your own blessings you will always be wanting or needing something. I have everything I need, my health and my family's health. In the times we are currently living in, it should be about living in a minimalistic mindset, because there are way to many people risking their lives everyday helping those who are deathly sick to complain that you are feeling trapped in your safe home.

Yes, it is inconvenient to be quarantined, I think all of us rather be going about our daily lives. But, rather than making the situation worse by complaining, I think our time in quarantine would be better spent adapting to the temporary situation and making the best out of it. 

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