By Joey Santos Jr.
This is week eight for me. The second I heard rumblings of a rapidly spreading virus out there, I “locked down” immediately! Call me “paranoid” ( I don’t need to be scared twice ) but, I’d rather be safe than sorry. So here I am two months in, healthy, safe and sane, and life as we knew it, is still in limbo. But, I do see why. Getting something like this under control is a process to understand, calculate, and cure. It’s not the first time, and it definitely won’t be the last time things like this have occurred. I trust Science. I trust the Scientists. The Specialists, Doctors, Nurses, EMT’s and Healthcare workers out there in the ‘trenches,’ tirelessly putting themselves and their loved ones at risk saving lives, finding treatments, creating comfort.
Bless them and their efforts. Support them. Praise them. But they can only do their best when they are able. There is still so much needed and so much yet to determine in order to conquer. I fear our “inexperienced, un-compassionate,” “leaders,” I fear the False Prophets in our Churches, Mosques, and Synagogues, …., and most of all, I fear our society. Are we willing to sacrifice some of life’s pleasures in order to ensure its’ longevity? Our future? The children? Our planet?? It’s beyond comprehension that some act so recklessly, insisting on opening schools, businesses, and venues before we have fully grasped the power of this situation and find the solution to eradicate it. Is it so urgent to open Tattoo Parlors? Spa Salons? Are they that imperative? I get it. Vanity is huge for many. But really? That huge??? So you can look good with tubes coming out of your chest, hooked up to an apparatus, because now unable to breathe on your own, confined to ICU with no contact with loved ones? To die all by yourself because of impatience and boredom??? Seriously, learn how to do your own makeup and hair. It may save your life and someone else’s!!! Follow the guidelines! Human Nature has two faces! One side, so cavalier, hiding fear and helplessness while displaying insensitivity, selfishness, anger, and despair. The other truth. Extending kindness, hope, compassion, determination, responsibility, purpose, and salvation. In these times, we must find and display the latter and only the latter. It will determine our emergence and the world’s outcome. I love my life. I love my friends and family. I love my planet. The sky, air, mountains, ocean, trees, animals, and everything God created for us to reflect. I’ve always known my responsibility to it. I’m proud of that. We all should be. Why does it have to take something like this to remind us? And does it really? There are still so many who simply “just don’t care.” Or again, is that merely the other face we see? No time to sort that out right now. There is too much at risk! This is a sign. A bright red “LIGHT UP THE SKY’ sign! In the few short months since this Pandemic has arrived, it has taken countless lives, challenged us all, and has shown us what we need to do in order to heal ourselves. So far, there is only a handful or two listening and acting upon it. The biggest example of “healing’ is coming directly from our planet. Pollution is down, and air is cleaner, oceans are cleaner, forests are blooming. This in only a few short months after a century or two of constant damaging. Hint yet? The earth is healing itself, and now we are killing ourselves by not listening and respecting our silence. God is silence. He speaks loudest in quiet. We need to listen to that and only that if we want a future. Sadly, yesterday is now gone. We all screwed that up. Own it. We ALL Screwed that up!!! But we can fix tomorrow. Right now, today. This is not a “race’ thing, A “gay” thing, or at this point, even a “political” thing. It’s way too late for politics. This is a Spiritual thing. It’s time to MAN UP, WOMAN UP! Come together. Money will find us again if that’s a desperation or a motivation. Put that aside for a minute. Without ourselves, our health, our convictions, commitment to what is right, and honest, then what does it matter? What is our legacy? And who are we leaving it to when there is no-one left to inherit it? The world is healing. We need to follow suit. If and when we get through this, we must remember this lesson we’ve been given. Slow down, respect, and appreciate. I look at this as a blessing. Some time to not make excuses for “time.” A time to take a good look within and reacquaint myself with me and what matters most. A time to unplug. So, if we are lucky enough for another shot at this thing called life? We start living it right and happily enjoying our “Peace and Blessings”.
