You often hear the phrase "everything in moderation" and while sometimes you can push the threshold one way or another, in the past being moderate was typically considered a good place to be. I generally live my life in moderation; I like to eat, but not too much. I enjoy a cocktail or two but not too many (I end up singing or crying), you get the point. I find myself sitting here wondering when it became such a bad thing to be moderate and/or to see both sides of a story, especially when they are such heavy circumstances...
We are living in the biggest period of unrest and uncertainty in the last several decades. For a lot of us millennials, this is overwhelming. We are not used to living in basically a time of war, but here we are. We have been very privileged for those of us who live in the US, to live in a country where we have endless opportunities and generally feel safe. Our lives have been turned upside down, our plans have been cancelled (work, weddings, events, projects, travels, etc) and our future is unknown. Usually I find that quite exciting as it means the possibilities are therefore endless but in this moment, it is scary. A lot of us are figuring out how to transfer our lives from in person to online and how we can adapt to this "new normal."
For me personally, it was nice to have a minute to catch my breath as the last several years have been consumed with work and a lot of positives have come out of this. During this pandemic, I have been able to spend more time with my family than ever before and I will be forever grateful for this time. Time is the most precious commodity and the only thing money cannot buy. I have worked out more in the last 3 months than I have in years because I have had the luxury of time, and I have taken a moment to just pause and really re-evaluate what is important to me at this juncture of my life. Yes, I realize how privileged I have been to have this time as a result of my never before unemployment status but with everything in life, there comes a price. Why is it not ok to be eager to go back to work and also want to protect those vulnerable to Covid-19 at the same time?
What truly saddens me on such a deep level is the undeniable hatred and animosity that 2020 has caused. The pandemic was ENOUGH for people to digest (depression, poverty, illness, suicidal thoughts, etc), and then this week brought upon an even deeper level of pain for so many people for different reasons. But when did it become not ok for people to be OUTRAGED at the unjust (there are no words) murder of George Floyd and then at the same time be truly saddened and outraged at the violence and vandalism that has erupted? My heart BREAKS for George Floyd and his family and his horrific death but I feel he should be honored in the way he deserves.
This movement should be to bring peace, not destruction. My heart also aches for all of the innocent people of all races that have lost their lives and businesses due to these violent protests, all of the people in Minneapolis who now have no neighborhood or stores to shop at and no access to public transportation. Is it not ok to mourn for these people as well? When did it become not ok to be moderate? Or to have some views lean one way and then others, in the opposite direction? When did it become not ok to be fully supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement and then supportive of all of the men and women, of all races, who are there to serve and protect us and have done just that and are also equally as outraged? The best thing we can do for humanity in this moment, is to unite as one, LISTEN to one another and have conversations that bring about change, hope and genuine care for one another as human beings. You can post all of the words you want, protest, but if you don't live and breathe what you are advocating for EVERY SINGLE DAY when no one is watching, are you really better than anyone else? Every single person in the US at this moment (who is not part of the 1 percent) has had their lives change drastically in some capacity during this year of unimaginable change and this time should not be wasted. In the profound words of Martin Luther King, "Returning hate for hate multiples hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. HATE CANNOT DRIVE OUT HATE. Only love can do that."