COVID Challenge

Posted by Lacey

on Apr 20, 2020

During these pandemic times, we are limited in what we can physically do outside our homes. I’m am lucky enough that I can work from home so I am still employed, but socially I am on lockdown and it sucks. So I revisited this site I had randomly come across previously. I have messaged new members, as I think they are at least still around. Whether it’s a picture or something on their profile that connects with me I let them know. We are all on here for interaction so put yourselves out there. It doesn’t matter what gender, what country, we all have that “bag” so go for it. So, yes I challenge you to reach out to 3 people. A message in someone’s inbox in times like these might just mean the world to someone’s mental health who is on lock down. If not for them do it for yourself and pat yourself on the back for taking a chance and putting in the effort to improve someone else’s day. Peace Out. Cheers!

14 likes

See all blogs by Lacey

Comments:

Mtnman : Hi Lacey,
Very well said, you are so right. Thanks, mtnman Apr 20, 2020

Bill : Hello Lacey. Thanks for this blog and I agree with your sentiments about reaching out to people, particularly at this difficult time, but also as a matter of habit when this thing is past. I don't think that a lot of people realise how difficult it is when people feel lonely and isolated. The simple 'cure' for that is to have someone 'friendly' make contact on a regular basis. Almost every one of my past 'clients' informed me that they had felt seriously suicidal in those times of loneliness and isolation. A sobering thought!!
Best wishes
Bill Apr 21, 2020

Little Lulu : Hi, Lacey. You have some good ideas about reaching out to people. So many are on lockdown alone, which really sucks. Everyone can use some human contact. Thanks for reaching out and challenging us!
Regards, Lucy Apr 22, 2020

iMacG5 : Great advice from you wise, compassionate friends.
Mike Apr 26, 2020

vollovr : Don't want to sound like a smartxxx but I'm tired of hearing the whining and oh poor lonely me.I work in healthcare and if you could walk in our shoes for just one day I think you would be grateful to be in lockdown instead of watching the horror that could be you!! May 02, 2020

iMacG5 : I have family working at the hospital in Hackensack, NJ. I would gladly change places with her.
As a former Director of Operations for a NJ hospital I was able to learn what all you folks do. We never had a pandemic but knowing a little about community transmission I worry every day about the all you folks, especially those often taken for granted like those in maintenance, housekeeping, dietary, central supply, security and the entire staff needed to make us better if not to actually save our lives. I respect your comments, admire all your efforts and you don't sound like a smartxxx to me.
Please don't forget I'm an ostomate. We don't do the "Lonesome Me" thing except when we listen to it sung by Don Gibson or the Everly Brothers.
Respectfully,
Mike May 02, 2020

vollovr : Hey Mike,Thank you for the kind response and understanding.Guess I'm being a little harsh but I get tired of hearing people complain about being inside or how it sucks to be on lock down.I think people who are alive and well should be grateful.I'm an ostomates too(9 surgeries)and have been close to death.God has blessed my life so in turn I hope I can be a blessing to others in such discouraging times. May 02, 2020

Bill : Hello vollovr.
Thank you for your response to this blog, as it is after all, a valid perspective from the point of view of someone on the frontline.
For someone who is not keen to hear how others are feeling negative about their lives in any given situation, it must be galling to hear so many people whinging about being in self-isolation, when this is the safest place for them to be.
It must also be a bit of a niggle to hear this sort of stuff when you are putting your lives on the line to help others in these times of both need and danger.
It pleases me no-end to see that here in the UK there has been a regular and visual appreciation of those working on the frontline in terms of a community clapping session every Wednesday evening at 20:00hrs, which is a crude expression of how most people feel about the workers.
I am very fortunate in these times of unusual social disturbance, in that I genuinely love to listen to peoples perspectives on the negativity in their lives. This is not simply so that I can write rhyming verse to capture the concepts they are trying to express, but to get to know how to help them move towards a more positive outlook on life.
I worked on the frontline in social care for more than 40years and I do believe that with friendship, empathy, and understanding, people who are moved by negativity can be enabled to see that there are different perspectives they can adopt, which might provide for a more satisfying life.
There are so many things about his pandemic which have highlighted aspects of human nature that may have been hidden from view in the past. Some of them I have tried to capture in verse, But I will share one facet concerning PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) that has stayed with me from the time it happened many years ago.
At the time, I was the only worker who was willing to work with those who are nowadays diagnosed within the narrow parameters of Personality Disorders that previously were labelled as psychopathic. This was a dangerous area to be working in for several reasons:
1)They tended to be highly negative and paranoid towards figures of authority.
2) From a frontline workers perspective, they tended to fall into two main categories;
Suicidal & Homicidal. ( the suicidal blamed themselves ; the homicidal blamed others)
3) Also, from a frontline perspective, the blame for almost anything that was deemed to be going wrong would fall on whoever was the frontline worker.
4) This blame not only came from the clients, but from the organisation we worked for.
5) Almost all the work with these people was what is called lone-working.
Here in the UK, it is difficult to get hold of firearms, so the main weapons these people used were knives. Over the years, I had lost several friends/colleagues who had been murdered by clients, and they had all been working with much less-volatile people than I was working with.
I asked my employer if it would be possible to be issued with a knife-proof vest, to be worn when I felt that there was a danger that they would have a stab at me. (i.e. I was asking for PPE!)
Their response was to literally laugh at me and my request, saying that because nobody else had ever made such a request, they therefore, would not entertain it.
I always found it very interesting, that whenever I worked jointly with the police to visit the same clients, they insisted on me wearing full body armour. I was also fascinated by the fact that it was always me who went in to greet these clients first! (but thats another story)
BACK TO THE PRESENT: It has grieved me to witness how the frontline staff in the caring professions have been short of PPE during this pandemic, whilst the politicians are being their usual disingenuous selves, by insisting that there is enough to go around. Then, when they realise that they are not believed, they issue guidelines to say that the PPE ought to be reused!! Implying that the frontline staff are being wasteful when they dont go from patient to patient spreading the virus on their PPE.
I will end my rant on that note except to say that you and your work is appreciated by the vast majority of ordinary people, even if they do have slightly differing perspectives on their own situations.
Best wishes
Bill
May 03, 2020