In this time of Covid-19 and widespread shutdown, there is physical distancing for some, and too much physical closeness for others living or working in tight spaces. Some people feel trapped at home, others trapped by having no adequate or safe home to take refuge in, or unsafe jobs that keep them away from home. Some have too much time on their hands, others too little.

Many educational programs have stopped their usual practices and gone virtual. I have heard people say that learning has been interrupted, but I don’t believe it. Normal has been interrupted. I am fascinated by the idea that interruption might be a strange gift for many of us. I’ve learned so many things that I have been thinking of these #covidtimes as #learningtime and using these hashtags on social media in hopes I can spark new conversations.

It is likely only a gift for those of us not sick, not at full stretch tending the sick, and not so beleaguered by life that there is no possible space for reflection. But all of us have been abruptly kicked out of normal life and perhaps that allows us to see “normal” a little more clearly.

This time allows many of us an opportunity to notice things we didn’t see before, to carry out some personal research. One teacher I worked with years ago got under the table with a kindergarten kid who didn’t want to come out. Once there she learned how safe it felt under the table and understood why cajoling and insisting the student move only made their need to stay hidden more intense. Now that so much has changed, many of us can look from a new angle, notice new things. Perhaps we will see our own relationship with fear and anxiety, or with time and tasks, with greater clarity.

We might notice what is truly life-giving, what really matters for us. For in this not-normal time the stakes are higher. There is danger and dread, and colours are heightened. I notice my emotions. For instance, some days it takes only a few small things going awry for the message “Internet unstable” to make tears well. Some people follow every news item, looking, perhaps, for explanations or some semblance of control, others avoid and cocoon. Whatever our route, if we are free to move a step beyond survival mode, we can observe the choices we make in this strange time, learning about ourselves and our lives.

Perhaps we will learn something about the “cost” of normal life, for our physical and mental health, our relationships, or our daily happiness, and begin to imagine making different choices in the new normal. Perhaps we can even imagine that the learning will be stretched beyond individual insights, so that as a society we will learn something about the “cost” of normal, the damage to so many lives, both human and animal, and begin to explore new possibilities.

I’m not sure I am ready yet to imagine the future personally, preferring to stay in the present, though I do notice glimmers of hopes and fears cross my mind and heart. Mostly I find myself immersed in my own exploration of a million and one details of daily life and what I want to spend time on, or avoid. I’m fascinated, for instance, how strongly I am drawn to work with my hands and material things in this time of virtual or distant connection with people, and I am noticing starkly what settles or agitates my nervous system.

What about you? Are the conditions of your life forcing you to learn new things? Are you able to learn more about yourself your life and your yearnings?

 

Photo by DirkKo form PxHere