Some of you may have noticed that I’ve tried to start blogging a couple times now. Don’t @ me, I know, I know. Consistency is key and I’ve been less than consistent.
However.
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s this nasty bug going around right now.
I’m gonna be 1000% honest with you: this whole coronavirus situation has me poopin the pants. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING has changed. The first thing to go for me was my beloved creative outlet: Jesters Dinner Theatre. We’re performing one of my favorite shows Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and I’m playing my dream role as Dorcas Hollum. I love the show, I love doing the show, and I love performing with an absolutely astounding group of people. We tried to stay open as long as possible, but the governor shut down all restuarants and theatres and unfortunately, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers came to an early close.Geeks Who Drink stopped offering pub quizzes, and I lost my Thursday night social gathering / quizmaster gig (including the paycheck that goes with it). The salon was the last to go. This illness has me freaked out though, so I’m not gonna lie, I was a little relieved. I was terrified of passing the illness on to one of my clients.
It's not just me, either, obviously. My uncle's business, Backbone Adventures, has had to close down completely as well. He's usually 100% booked at this point of the summer, and unfortunately, every machine he has is sitting idle, just waiting to be booked again. My parents' jobs have completely changed. My friends have lost employment completely and we're all pretty freaked out.
I don’t really know what the future holds. I don’t think any of us do. I think that this is completely unprecedented, and I’m already seeing the effects of collective trauma.
The Great Depression produced some habits for that generation, like sitting in the dark because they grew up doing that to save money and resources. My great-grandparents, every now and again, would eat fried mush for dinner. Mush was a Great Depression staple that they grew up with, and it was a mixture of cornmeal and water that my great grandma would fry up, with a little syrup on top.
It wouldn’t surprise me if this entire generation developed habits from this crazy time. I know that for years to come, I will be much more aware of general illness and safety. I’ll be much more prone to stay home if I’m sick or if my kid is sick. I’ll be much more protective of my salon space, asking people to not come in if they’re sick, and even rescheduling those that I do not feel comfy servicing. I’m going to make sure that I always have certain staples on hand so we never have to worry about running out of food or water. And the hand sanitizer will FLOW.
As weird and crazy as these times are, I truly believe that we as humans are resilient, and we will come out of this stronger together. This time can be used to create beautiful things out of darkness, and to build a stronger, more kind community.
We are always saying “I don’t have time”. Well, I have the time now, and I’m taking control of that time. We never get a chance to hit the pause button and take a breather, and that’s exactly what this quarantine is giving us. We need to take this time to be grateful for our health, and honor and care for those we’ve lost. This is a solemn time of reflection and redirection. Above all, we need to remember to take care of each other. This pandemic is unlike anything most of us have ever experienced in our lifetimes, and it’s completely normal to feel out of place, anxious, depressed, angry, scared, or even numb. We’re all lonely and missing our friends and families. We’re all anxious about our health, our family’s health, our friends’ health, the economy, and how long this is gonna last.
So, we need to be gentle with each other. In times like these, it is necessary that we stand together, 6 feet apart, and provide what we can for our fellow humans.
Hopefully, this blog will provide a little spot of shiny something in your life. I know that it’s giving me something to do other than organize my Pinterest boards. (Did you know that you can add Sections to your Boards now and essentially have boards within boards??? My Pinterest is about to get organized AF.)
Chris Lane Salon Spa is scheduled to open again on May 1, 2020. I am extending my normal work hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to accommodate everyone’s post-quarantine grooming and social needs. I’m already booking up very quickly, so if I were you, I’d hit THIS LINK HERE to reserve your appointment.
As my dad would say, “Stay safe and have a swell day!”
XoXo
Jes!