Remaking Our World: Coronavirus, Hope, and Future Society
* Written by Cristina Deptula, of Authors, Large and Small provides resourceful and tenacious book outreach services for writers of many genres and believes in the value of stories to help us uncover moments of grace and beauty and expand our capacities for creativity and compassion.
Coronavirus has radically shifted our lives and schedules. Now that we’re three months in to shelter in place in many metro areas, people are beginning to speculate on how society might reshape itself after we survive this pandemic.
A few of the authors we represent have written pieces inspired by the psychological experience of quarantine. Some look to the big picture and speak out on ecology and economics, while others look inward, seeing this as a time to process and heal personal and communal grief, and to reconnect with neglected aspects of our lives.
In this short series, I give these writers space to share their thoughts.
Nhi Chung is a refugee from Vietnam as part of the post-war migration to the United States. After a journey that took the lives of several of her family members, she resettled in the US and worked for many years as a bilingual public-school teacher. She’s the author of the memoir Among the Boat People, available here from publisher AK Press.
She shares these thoughts about life during quarantine:
I imagine when the viral crisis is over, I will continue doing a few things that I only began during lockdown.
One is to talk each week on Facebook chat to my daughter and grand-daughter. They live in another state, and we didn’t keep up very constant communication in the past. My grand-daughter, almost two years old, can say a few words and add her part to the conversation.
I am also walking around my Brooklyn neighborhood and learning about it. Before the crisis, I only knew what existed between the subway station and my house, but now, since walking is my main exercise, I am seeing more.
Lastly, I have been very slowly learning Spanish. Before the virus shutdown, I was taking two weekly classes. With more free time and less to occupy me, I can study one hour each night and supplement that with watching Spanish movies with Spanish subtitles.
As to what from my former life I might leave out when we all return to some semblance of normal, my first response was to say, “I need everything.”
Reconsidering, I can see my real longing is to return to meditation and tai chi. I meditate every day at home but it lacks the energy waves one feels meditating in a temple. I also do tai chi in my basement by myself but this lacks the camaraderie and fun of group practice.
And reconsidering, I realize I will probably give up going to restaurants or even buying takeout. Not because it may never be safe anymore, but because I found, unexpectedly, that while there are plenty of restaurants still open for takeaway in our area, I prefer to cook a little (or have my husband cook) even though there is less variety of food that way.
I will also slow down my walks, allowing myself to get more absorbed in my surroundings rather than hurriedly passing them by.
* Written by Cristina Deptula, of Authors, Large and Small provides resourceful and tenacious book outreach services for writers of many genres and believes in the value of stories to help us uncover moments of grace and beauty and expand our capacities for creativity and compassion.
Coronavirus has radically shifted our lives and schedules. Now that we’re three months in to shelter in place in many metro areas, people are beginning to speculate on how society might reshape itself after we survive this pandemic.
A few of the authors we represent have written pieces inspired by the psychological experience of quarantine. Some look to the big picture and speak out on ecology and economics, while others look inward, seeing this as a time to process and heal personal and communal grief, and to reconnect with neglected aspects of our lives.
In this short series, I give these writers space to share their thoughts.
Nhi Chung is a refugee from Vietnam as part of the post-war migration to the United States. After a journey that took the lives of several of her family members, she resettled in the US and worked for many years as a bilingual public-school teacher. She’s the author of the memoir Among the Boat People, available here from publisher AK Press.
She shares these thoughts about life during quarantine:
I imagine when the viral crisis is over, I will continue doing a few things that I only began during lockdown.
One is to talk each week on Facebook chat to my daughter and grand-daughter. They live in another state, and we didn’t keep up very constant communication in the past. My grand-daughter, almost two years old, can say a few words and add her part to the conversation.
I am also walking around my Brooklyn neighborhood and learning about it. Before the crisis, I only knew what existed between the subway station and my house, but now, since walking is my main exercise, I am seeing more.
Lastly, I have been very slowly learning Spanish. Before the virus shutdown, I was taking two weekly classes. With more free time and less to occupy me, I can study one hour each night and supplement that with watching Spanish movies with Spanish subtitles.
As to what from my former life I might leave out when we all return to some semblance of normal, my first response was to say, “I need everything.”
Reconsidering, I can see my real longing is to return to meditation and tai chi. I meditate every day at home but it lacks the energy waves one feels meditating in a temple. I also do tai chi in my basement by myself but this lacks the camaraderie and fun of group practice.
And reconsidering, I realize I will probably give up going to restaurants or even buying takeout. Not because it may never be safe anymore, but because I found, unexpectedly, that while there are plenty of restaurants still open for takeaway in our area, I prefer to cook a little (or have my husband cook) even though there is less variety of food that way.
I will also slow down my walks, allowing myself to get more absorbed in my surroundings rather than hurriedly passing them by.
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comment!
http://www.twitter.com/brummet
http://www.facebook.com/lillian.brummet
http://www.linkedin.com/in/ldbrummet