I can honestly say that I never thought in a million years I would ever see ALL stores out of toilet paper and bottled water. Then get progressively worse by having the entire store be 90 percent empty on a daily basis. Lines wrapped around the stores of people just hoping they will have food they can eat for what is rumored to be a potential two-week quarantine… yes, a QUARANTINE! This has been an experience for the past couple of weeks, that truthfully, I’m still trying to wrap my head around. Sometimes in denial like, “this can’t be real.” But as the days go by and I look at news headlines constantly being flashed across my phone of corona virus this, and COVID-19 that, it becomes more and more real every day.
The ironic thing about this whole pandemic was that I quit my job one week before everything started to shut down. Then exactly one week later everything I had lined up to speak at or attend was cancelled or postponed. Leaving me literally with no work, no possibility to get more work because no one knows how long it’ll be before we can gather in public spaces again. For me this has been an equally tough, yet optimistic position to be in. Tough because I’m a natural extrovert and my existence, purpose in life is to interact with people regularly especially in person. Not having that has been more of a self-shocker than I expected. I had no idea how much the physical interactions with others really impacted my lifestyle. Tough because I’m not sure how I will get back making an income again. I’ve lived independently with a disability for over 10 years, I’ve never not worked or not known how to provide for myself.
Yet in a strange way the very things that I have been experiencing as tough, is also what I’m most optimistic about. Being an extrovert is my nature, but I do enjoy my alone and down time as well. This has provided a unique opportunity to slow down from the hustle and bustle of building a brand, working for myself, to being able to finally sit and relax. I’ve been enjoying the opportunities to pray, meditate, and not rush to go anywhere. I should’ve been implementing these practices while working, but sometimes my determination gets the best of me. I neglect my self-care wanting to be of service to others first. But this time is reminding me how crucial it is to put myself first in order to feel better and get my days started off right. I’ve also been using this time to create, create, create! I’ve been full of ideas that I want to implement, now that my mind isn’t flooded with what other people need from me, but what I want to do for myself creatively. It has been this realization that has kept me motivated during this time.
Ultimately, I believe this is a time for reset. Prior to this, everything seemed to be at odds with each other, incredibly divisive and lots of negativity. From what I’ve been noticing, for the first time, no matter what race, gender, class, etc., no one is exempt from this experience. It is affecting everyone’s life in a jarring way. I encourage everyone to use this time to truly connect with loved ones, build your mind body and spirits up and get as creative and productive as you can possibly be because this is life changing.
Learn more about Lauren "Lolo" Spencer: