A
female
age
51-59,
anonymous
writes:I am going a bit crazy! It's as if the normal and rational part of me has just left the premises..Is this lockdown angst or anxiety or have I just hit the eject button?Kiddies happy and silly laughter normally makes me smile but today it's driving me crazy.Normally I have some kind of jokey thought to cheer me up but today I have nothing.Politicians argue, people argue and life goes on but today I have reached rock bottom and I am ready to lash out at the world for anything.I partly think a vast section of the community has reached the same point where we don't know whether to laugh or cry.We want to cry for the lockdown deaths but we know we are lucky to be alive but then again we are told there will be a second wave. So maybe another quarter of a million of us will die.Perhaps it's normal to not know how we should feel and maybe I shouldn't be surprised to feel out of step because I'm not even sure which queue I'm in. Reply to this Question
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male
reader, anonymous, writes (30 June 2020): I first want to say Amen, to what Wise Owl has written to you OP! The world is in a crisis, but like always, we must, and will adapt and improvise! There is an Old Testament Bible Scripture: BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD! Please contemplate those words! Nothing, and I repeat Nothing, has taken GOD by suprise! GOD IS IN CONTROL, so why should we worry, and let the news media whip us up into a quivering mass of fear? I thank GOD FOR EVERYTHING! Seriously,take a journal page, and draw a dividing line, down thru the middle of the page. In the left column, list your major fears and worries. In the right column, list everything that you are thankful for, and Blessed With. Now I mean everything! Begin with the breath in your lungs. Then oxygen. Then the trees which give off oxygen and use up harmful carbon dioxide. Each and Every Body Part, yes even fingernails and hairs that line your nose, and your bowels too! Trust me Friend, you are gonna need many many more pages, to list all your Blessings! Trust GOD!!!
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (29 June 2020):
Hi
The whole world is dealing with some sort of shadow at the moment and the world is changing (very fast) it is not quite the same anymore, some ways good and some ways bad. This is normal, we have been shaken in recognizing that MAN has not as much control as it thinks and our freedoms have been chained, were not free of these chains yet and have to be very careful that our minds remain free from fear and all the otherworldy woes can feel heavy.
It is true that many of us can see or sense subtle changes throughout the world and times like this can fill people with anxiety about the future and our own mortality. My father died during this lockdown and it was hard for all the family, but we feel blessed that he had faith and we had faith, he said 'Heavens Waiting' and his words are etched into my heart because he saw something this HEAVEN just before he crossed over, and his pocket watch stopped.
Remain strong and TRUE to your SELF and do not be led into trouble by an angry world that is intent on destroying itself, the world has always fought, just different battles but ultimately, what is lacking is love and faith. Let them argue, be a FREE SPIRIT and do what you can but to snap out at the world is not going to change it. I feel like shouting from the highest mountain sometimes against injustice and hatred and then hiding at the bottom weeping because I know it does not have to be this way. I send a mini glass bottle out to see when I need to say something truthful to the future, in hope that in a hundred years' time somebody may find the message (not plastic), we need to hold onto our individual faiths. I have never forgotten a lovely chinese lady where I live, who used to cut paper hearts out and write inspirational bible messages onto them and hand them out to people etc I received one and it really
made me see what a difference this unique little lady was making, huge in its impact always made people smile and maybe changed lives. The world and its problem is way too big to take on, it's the little individual things that help make it change and that involves faith.
Enjoy your life and enjoy this time to be what you want to be, if you have faith hold strong to it. It is amazing how our faiths can carry us through scary times and give us clear direction, problems become smaller, obstacles become challenges and fear becomes UNTRUE.
Logic is not always the answer, man cannot do it ALL and when we learn this the world will heal.
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (28 June 2020):
Hello there,
I am in your age bracket and the same country as you.
As a bit of a backstory to this pandemic this country has a lot of other things which have transpired in the past six months with railway blockages,standoff with a major super power and other tragedies and you throw in the pandemic and it is a lot to take in.
I am now avoiding the daily update by the PM and that has helped. I do have empathy and respect for any leader right now. It cannot be a piece of cake guiding a nation through this.
You sound sensitive and articulate. If you are this way you may be soaking up the ambiance a bit more. And yes..being at the midlife point in your life can affect how you see this.
A lot of the other posters here have excellent suggestions on how to make the most of an extraordinary situation.That being said I suspect you, if you are sensitive are grieving the lives lost and to be lost and the change to life as we know it.
On a personal level I was excited to learn new skills as a high school teacher with my online classroom in the few months. When I watched the online grad video a couple of days ago I was still so proud. No pandemic could take that away.
Hang in there.Like you I feel a sense of unease as well.Early in my teaching career I taught for two years in West Africa and saw great poverty but also great resilience. I think of that a lot lately.
Good luck.
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A
female
reader, mystiquek  +, writes (28 June 2020):
 You are not alone. I think even the bravest will admit that they are scared and confused. These are scary times and there is so much uncertainty. The media loves to whip up everything into a frenzy and that's enough right there to frighten anyone. Do you notice how they always talk about the really bad parts? The worst case scenarios? What about all the people that have survived? Please keep these things in mind.
Its sad when the government can't make up its mind what to do and gives people alot of misinformation and false expectations. I've learned the hard way for my own sanity to STOP watching the news and media so much. I check once a day and that's it.
I know what I should be doing and what I need to do to keep safe and to keep my family safe. I thank God for the blessings he has bestowed upon me that I don't have to be on the front line. I pray for those that are. I'm grateful for those people that are out there working for me so that my family can have food and supplies that we need.
Reach out to those you love, stay in contact with them. Be smart, be safe but take care of yourself. Get outside a little every day, get some fresh air, some sunshine. Take up a new hobby, rekindle your love with an old hobby. Clean, cook, sew, learn a new language whatever brings you joy.
Remember that you are not alone. We are ALL going through this. Stay calm and as level headed as possible. Panic and hysteria are not going to help you or anyone else.
If you are religious, reach out, pray seek guidance if you need help. We will get through this. I wholeheartedly agree with Wiseowl. Not preaching but remember to be grateful and thankful for what you have. As my grandmother taught me..when you start feeling sorry for yourself look around. You'll always see someone worse off than you are.
Be safe sweetie. Its going to take time but eventually things will start to calm down. It may never be the way that it was but things will get better.
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A
female
reader, Honeypie +, writes (27 June 2020):
 Is it lockdown angst?
Quite possibly. And for that I don't think there is a quick fix. There aren't much you can do to prevent a tiny virus to "go" where it goes and infect people. It's like trying to shoot a fly with a cannon.
But what you CAN do is use common sense, and keep your head on right.
For me, there isn't a HUGE difference in what I do, post pandemic. I know a couple of people who tested positive, but thankfully none who were very ill due to it. Knock on wood.
I know it's scary. Very scary. Because we don't really know what's going on, add all the political and climate drama too - it seems like the World is on fire.
My advice? MAKE sure you go outside daily. Start a herb garden, plant some flowers, mow the lawn, volunteer to mow your elderly neighbor's lawn... etc. DO things. Don't just sit at home and listen to all the SCARY new stories.
Set up a board game night once a week. Try baking bread with the kids, or a home made pizza (if they are smaller, make cookies or slime or whatnot). Do things you enjoy. Download some audio books (or e-books) rush up on something you haven't done in a while but enjoy (like a hobby).
ENJOY your kids. The simple pleasures.
But know this, THIS TOO will come to an end. Things WILL get back to a more normal state.
Yelling at the world or the sky will not do you any good, it's like Don Quixote and the windmills.
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (27 June 2020): Just to let you know I am the OP and yesterday was a day that came to the boil.
I did have the chance to pray and it felt very comfortable and peaceful.
I love the little kiddies as I've seen them growing up. I know the irritability came from me and in the end I shut the windows and took some time to pray.
But the day didn't improve. In fact it got worse. My boyfriend came back very irritable and accusations and an argument erupted.
Then another neighbour got involved. (Not the parents of the kiddies but a neighbour who tends to try to get a bit too close for comfort and my fella loves it!)
Finally it de-escalated but now I feel cheated out of serenity in my home.
The whole thing has history. She told her exhusband that she and my man were having an affair. We sorted this out in a supermarket one day without harsh words.Then later her husband passed away from an illness.
But she felt sorry for my fella and came round with incense and rum which he was pleased about because he was accusing me of using or disposing of or displacing his pack.
So he revelled in her sympathy and I got annoyed because the dimensions had just altered again.
I pay for everything in my home.
I had everything I needed, just not enough rum.
I returned the incense and the cup and she came round for more aggro.
My fella has gone on and on about this women to me for years giving me a proper ear banging.
She and I used to be close friends.
But now I don't feel as though my life is my own. I don't feel annoyed like I did yesterday but I feel out of place, fed up and unhappy.
In fact I feel a bit like a piece of pork and that's without reference to Israel.
How can I feel in control of my life when my neighbour is there instantly to provide what the boyfriend thinks is lacking?
If I could rocket my home to another area I would but that's not going to happen due to shortage of housing.
I won't explain the true meaning of the argument but it runs deeper than the simple lack of supply of a packet of insence.
I'm a normally quiet person who just wants to be spoken to in a non aggressive and non accusatory manner.
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A
female
reader, Youcannotbeserious  +, writes (27 June 2020):
 Sending lots of hugs. These unprecedented times are hard for many people.
While this is not the first pandemic we have had, it is the first time such draconian controls have been put in place in an effort to bring it under control and it is very difficult for most of us to stay level headed and carry on as "normal".
I doubt we will ever be able to look back on these times and laugh, but most of us will hopefully be able to look back and say "I survived".
In the meantime, try to live your life as normally as possible while taking sensible precautions to keep yourself and those around you safe. Go for a walk every day. Speak to friends as often as possible. Most importantly, remember you are not alone. Many people are feeling like you. Stay strong and keep reminding yourself that this too will pass.
Hugs. xxx
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (27 June 2020): I understand your angst. If you're over 50, this is not your first pandemic.
Just the first one that such precautions and measures have been taken to protect the public.
This is a test. A test of our resilience and resolve. A test of our faith and fortitude.
The laughter of children is a sign of hope and innocence. It's joy in the midst of misery and death. Try and see it that way, instead of dwelling on how much you hate everything. Image being on the front-line dealing with suffering or dying patients! Image being out of work, running out of food, and not sure where your next meal is coming from. Imagine being among the grieving, who have lost their loved-ones. Then look-up to God in heaven and say "thank you for your mercy, Lord! What gets me, is all the disinformation and misinformation coming from people who are supposed to be our leadership! My faith lies in God Almighty; and I won't let this pandemic get to me. I pray everyday, sometimes more than once a day, and every night before bed...and then some. I survive by the love of God; and my wonderful friends and family. I pray for those who aren't as fortunate. I will also pray that God will comfort you, and give you the peace you deserve. I fully understand, my dear. I honestly do! May God's peace be with you!
You can make the best of this, and use this time to reconnect with your loved-ones, or establish a better relationship with your Holy Creator. You could make a list of things you'd like to do or accomplish when all this is over. You should find some solace, when you look at those sweet innocent little souls who can find reason to laugh and play; when this is all happening in the midst of their childhood, while they have no control over anything. They miss school, their friends, going to the playground, and doing normal things too. We have to hold it together for their sake! Not scream at each other, ignore medical experts and the CDC health-precautions, or recklessly defy the rules set by our local and state leadership. Give a damn whether not doing so could be lethal to those with underlying illnesses; unlike the uncaring who are selfish and defiant. Just because the young and healthy show no symptoms, who cares if you infect someone elderly, or with immunodeficiencies; who appreciate their lives and safety just as much as anybody else!
Going crazy is unnecessary, and makes no sense. You can still go outside, you can still putter around the house doing what you once had no time to do. Read, get a hobby, take online courses; and you can embrace and enhance the love you share with your family. People are spoiled and ungrateful, when we live in a nation that has resources unlike any other in whole wide world! Politicians and the news media are exploiting our anxieties and misgivings; and we're suddenly closed-up with ourselves, and finding-out who we really are. That should be a wake-up call to all of us; that we've got a lot of work to do about ourselves, when staying home (in our own homes) drives us totally crazy.
I've seen people screaming at each other, and acting totally bonkers. Image what it most be like in prison; when you can't walk outside the walls when you get good and ready? Imagine wondering when the final notice or eviction notice is coming. If you don't have to face the extremes that many are facing with grace and good-spirit; than get on your knees and pray for strength! Ask God, or whomever you believe to be your maker, to give you the hope you need to get through this! Consider those who suffer far more; and realize what you still have to be grateful for. I'm preaching this, because that's exactly what my family, friends, and I am doing! I have my faith to fall-back on! I know I'll get through this; and so far, by the grace of God, me and my loved-ones have all been spared the virus! I was tested only a couple of weeks ago, and I can thank God I'm still negative!
Count your blessings, my dear! We are all going to get through this. It's hard, but look at the people in Israel. A tiny little nation in the middle-east surrounded and hated by practically all their neighbors. Any given moment a bomb or a terrorist could strike. Yet they prosper, live on, and go about their lives from day to day. Then they also have to deal with this covid-19 virus to top it off! We sit in the comfort of our own homes, and go crazy??? I think we have a lot to work on within ourselves to get our acts together. Not singling you out; I mean each and every one of us!
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