The New Normal

I don’t need to list the horrific things we’re all going through right now. You all know. I don’t need to list any of them. If you’ve seen the news or spend any time on Twitter… you know.

Depending on which continent, which country, and which part of that country you’re in the details might vary, but overall: it’s colossal. And particularly here in the USA, we’re seeing things we never dreamed could be.

So, Here’s What’s Normal Right Now

A Shower Is A Huge Task

Very few of us are in our regular routines, including our previous regular shower routine. Right now, it’s normal to not want to haul yourself into the shower. One of those is my sister. It’s because in the old normal she’s very regimented and has a strict self-appointed schedule of when she does what and what’s on each day’s agenda.

For any regimented and disciplined person, this is an anchor. It gives a sense of control, productivity, and peace of mind. So, at this time people of this ilk are able to (and must for sanity) hold onto a portion of that. Otherwise, if you make it to the shower about four to eight times per month you’re normal right now.

I’ll Do My Hair Thursday: If It Hasn’t All Fallen Out By Then

If it takes about four days to psyche yourself up to wash your hair anywhere from day 9 – 18 since the last time you washed it. This is normal right now. – That’s what’s going on for me. – Even if you have to be seen on Zoom for a meeting, a quick brush or a ponytail does it these days.

And another worrying situation… your hair like mine might be shading. strands sliding from their roots every time you draw your hand closed around your gorgeous mind from neck to tips. This is normal right now. It’s called hair fall or hair shed and it’s for – you guessed it – stress. Here’s a list of homeopathic remedies for this.

The one I chose for myself worked!!! Within one day…! It’s so exciting to see only a few hairs at a time in my hand or brush! Seriously.

Normal Right Now Means the Kitchen Is Not Clean

Face it. Cooking is well and good, but it’s been about ten nights out of 210 that the dinner I ate was made by someone other than myself. As well as break, lunch, brunch, and snacks.

As well as the sudden wild and only half-the-normal-level-of-energetic experiments like homemade pizza dough. So, this means… things don’t get cleaned up on the same day they get messed up.

Nope. Sometimes, a chunk of it is tidied, but nine times out of ten the entire kitchen is not tidy, clean, wiped, washed, and tucked away all at once.

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Five women’s true stories of being ensnared, hauled through the confusion, lies, fear, and pain, and to breaking away.

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Let Things Go

Even the inside of the fridge has a few spills from things just being chucked in with a quick open-and-shut of the door; naked halves of avocados without their usual Tupperware, forlorn exposed bowls of half-eaten lentil soup.

My mom would freak. But, my mom missed 2020, she passed away in 2013. And right now one of the new normals so many of us feel but don’t much express… It’s normal to feel somberly glad that a certain loved one or another isn’t here to live through this.

So, that’s normal right now and the way it is unless you have a live-in or drop-in housekeeper. – I have water in glasses and repurposed canning jars all over every tabletop, grabbing them as I walk by to guzzle more. It seems like all the water I drink isn’t enough right now. Does anyone know, is trauma dehydrating?

Netflix, Hulu, Acorn, HBO, Prime, BritBox

It’s amazing to think we hit this piece of human history along with this time in human history when we have loads of quality telly and films at the slide, click, tap of a digital device. Thank goodness.

Make connections matter more than ever. Celebrate the affection and love. Appreciate if your spouse or kids who used to be off at work or school all day now crowd the master bedroom or the study down the hall.

Normal right now means hours and hours of watching and zoning out. I finished Emily in Paris starring and produced by the adorable Lily Colins’ (yes, Phil Colins’ daughter) the day after Netflix released it. – The French may find it ridicule, I don’t care.

What are your favorites? On Acorn right now, I’m watching Mr. and Mrs. Murder. It’s a couple who run their own business as a crime scene cleaning crew.

Think of a sort of Miss Marple genre murder mystery featuring toned-down-low-key Aussie-style Steve-Martin-Tina-Fey-esque characters. Charlie and Nicola in understated wit solve the murder while cleaning up the blood and goo which is not gratuitous, but very mild.

Because they like and prefer their job, they happily feed the local bumbling cop their discoveries giving him credit, and then go back to cleaning up after the next murder. – All in all, the tone is sweeter and more camp than gore.

Do What You Can Do

Normal right now is doing work for home if so fortunate as to have that. But even so, below the Zoom camera are sweats, yoga pants, pajamas, and bunny slippers. Let them be. That’s normal right now.

For those with their own business online (yours truly) rough through what you can and let the rest go. I’ve streamlined my social media by finally using Buffer. I also mute every account that talks about politics, particularly on Twitter.

I just can’t hear it anymore. We’re all living in trauma right now, and we must monitor and control how much of the daily horror we let in. I can unmute these lovely accounts alter, later when we’ve made things better.

The Sociopath Madness in 2020

If you’re one of the beautiful people just now embarking on making an escape or taking in the truth of what you were ensnared into here, now in this year of 202: you are more amazing than there are words to say.

Those of us who made the way through this odyssey earlier can tell you: keep going, and you are not alone. Know that a portion of the fear, floating in space and confusion and fear is compounded by covid19 by political antics, hate, violence.

And number one, it’s the disunity; that is always, always, always the domain and provenance of the influence of a sociopath. This is a great time to unplug from the news and plug into yourself. Choose even one thing you study, or do or make that anchors your day and is consistently part of what you’re striving for.

When we have a clear purpose in life we can overcome anything. Without a sense of purpose, even though we may possess everything else, our lives begin a slow decline.
~ Daisaku Ikeda

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The Good News In Normal Right Now: Celebrate Connection

Take this time to take it slow. Narrow down what matters. I’ve decided dirty dishes aren’t such a big deal. I let my sleep happen when it happens. It’s extremely loosely based on the old normal. Falling asleep at 2:00 AM, or at 8:00 AM, and then sleeping again at 6:00… It’s all up in the air.

I also let myself do whatever… even start the odd D.I.Y. whatever no matter what day or hour it is. When the energy and inspiration hit, run with it. Otherwise, who knows when the muse will grace us again.

I’ve also discovered things that mean much and matter more. For instance, in my Buddhist group, we’ve been Zooming for all our meetings since mid-March.

We linger after to wave and smile and say each other’s names in goodbyes like that old show the Waltons or The Brady Bunch: good night Jim Bob, Bye, Sara!!, Babbs! Matt!! We just say each other’s names.

Zoom Style Fun

We’ve started celebrating each other’s birthdays with BitMojis and text messages. Never before have we even known one another’s birthdays when they go by, but now, there has been a surprise homemade Brazillian Brigadero birthday cake delivery! – There’s a DIY for you! – My sister made this one.

Our early Sunday morning Zoom opens with amazing Motown tunes and dancing as one by one we’re let in the meeting by the organizer. We dance out too, waving, and calling out our names. That particular meeting, for my area, has something like 223 participants. And we now can have guests join in from anywhere in the world because… it’s all on Zoom! One of the women had her family and a friend in Spain join in!

Innovation, Imagination in The New Normal

I’m really enjoying other new Zoom and online connections. I’ve seen a Portland State University Theater Department radio play, a friend’s band play from their backyard in Hawaii, and attended a book conference.

I’ve joined into a reading of one of my favorite author’s books, not at a local book shop but, via the live link! – I’d not see any of these otherwise. The innovation, imagination, and persistence in connecting and continuing to express themselves and their art are inspiring!

Reach Out One, Two, Three Times a Day

Connections matter more than ever. Celebrate the affection and love. If you’re fortunate enough to have them… appreciate your spouse or kids who used to be off at work or school all day now crowded into the master bedroom or the study down the hall with their work equipment and meetings and extra loud Zoom conversations.

Reach across the phone to friends… Check in, and share memes, jokes, links, hope, and love. Let’s cherish one another all the more.

Here’s to REAL True Love and Happiness!

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As a certified coach, upholding industry standards I strive to inform, educate, invite thought and dialogue, to co-plan, co-strategize, advise, consult, refer, recommend, train, teach, guide and coach people in guided recovery and discovery specific to these crimes, and from hell and broken in the aftermath to whole again, and more. You decide what winning is.