What a time we are in, a global experience of an invisible virus.
It scares us because loved ones, people we know from work, a walking buddy are getting sick; some are dying. I am saddened when I see pictures of a daughter looking through a window at her mother, a sister blocked from any contact with her brother. Each of us probably spends some part of our day worrying, about others, about whether we will be next.
One term we hear often is “non-essential”. As social distancing and isolating spread across the country, only the essential people can work on site – the front line health care providers, truck drivers, grocery clerks, pharmacists, doormen and women. The rest of us are not needed to keep things going. That realization hit me this morning, in my third trip out to the grocery store in three weeks. Usually, I walk, but today I drove my car because it needed to get up and go. As I drove down and across major city streets in Chicago, they were empty. A few people strolled on the sidewalk with their dogs, a few people were out to get groceries. That’s it. Quiet. Everybody inside.walking
Most of us are non-essential, I thought. Not many of us are critical to be out, to be on the job in person. A downer. Those words connote not being valued, not being needed. When I got home I looked up the meaning of non-essential – “of relatively no importance; unnecessary.” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary” I wonder if any malaise, sluggish feeling, fear might be in part because we want to be necessary. We want to make a difference. And yet, we can’t right now.
So we need to find out own ways to cope, stay in touch with friends, family, co-worker, and even those we may not know well but want to check in to see if they are ok. We may be non-essential for personal safety sake, but each of us is essential to check in with others, do the small things that say “I care”. You are important.
This challenging time for so many of us non-essentials is to know we can do small things for others that truly make a difference. Is there someone you can reach out to today, with a call, an email to extend kindness and tell another that she matters?
I wholeheartedly agree with you. It’s important to keep in touch with friends & family, near & far, & anyone you know that may not have many friends or family members. I also think we need to remember that we non-essential people staying home now are actually performing the very essential job of keeping all those essential workers as well as other non-essential folks safer from the virus. And that is very important job too.
Thanks, Terri. As we have heard lately from some wise voices, staying home is an act of love for many whose names we will never know.
Thank you for this reminder that each of us contributes to the well-being of our communities and country in a different way.
I think this is an opportunity to really consider what we REALLY need to do .
Perhaps I take “essential” “non-essential in a different context. So many of us occupy our time with endless to do list which makes us incredibly “busy”. After 10 days at home, I realize I am calmer, having more than enough time to chat on the phone, journal, have a leisurely meal.
Maybe its ok to be non-essential. I know that this experience to date has changed me in a profound way. I pray for everyone’s health and safety as we contemplate a very different world.
Thanks so much, Mary. Yes, we are learning it is ok to be non-essential as you describe it. We still have a very important part to play every day.