Time to Chill

I was watching Bill Maher recently and he said what I have been thinking for some time now. That doesn’t happen often, so when it does, it gets my attention. Maybe it’s all the reflection i have done since The Pandemic, like everyone else who takes the time to look around…and back.

He was talking about awareness and how it seems that every single calendar month is dedicated to a disease or malady that plagues our modern culture. Some are social; some are physical. Some are painfully obvious (like Salt Awareness Week. As Bill Maher said, “Is anyone sitting in a restaurant wondering why they put the cocaine next to the pepper?”). All are devastatingly real and maddeningly depressing. I don’t know about you but they make me feel frustrated, as though we need to be told that we suffer, a lot.

and then there’s politics which has become a toxic brew that only those in power seem to have a tolerance for these days. Power has definitely become more important than being of service.

I found myself smiling when Bill Maher was talking about taking a minute to chill out (he said it in a much cruder but seriously effective way…use your imagination or Google it).

Now before you get your knickers in a twist, I am not saying we should ignore all of the illness, suffering and disparities that have been laid bare in these times. I am not saying we should go through life blissfully ignorant of injustice and illness, living in own little bubbles. And I am definitely not saying that we should give up the fight for equality, justice, a healthy people and planet. We have a lot of work to do to make this world a better place: just, equal, vibrant and protective of all living creatures now and in the future. I have worked for social change and healthy living for decades now, happily so. I love my work; I love what I do. I love being of service and making a difference (even if it’s a small one).

I was reading a beautiful article in the New York Times about the success of vaccination against Covid (yes, back to that for a minute) among Native Americans. It was about how they need little convincing to get vaccinated because of three tenets that drive their culture: a concern for what happens seven generations from now; a respect for their ancestors that drive a respect for life and a deep and abiding respect for the planet and keeping it healthy and strong for the future. It was beautiful to read such a positive piece on people caring on a “big picture” level of life. It made me step back, feeling hopeful in a time when it seems we are surrounded by a ‘me, first’ mentality in our modern world.

And so I went back to Bill Maher.

I am not advocating for selective memory; I am saying that sometimes, I just want to chill out for a minute and not feel bad or frustrated. I don’t know about you but I am exhausted by the last few years I am tired of all of it. I know we all are but I keep hearing my Italian grandfather in my head, saying that each and every day, we must choose. We can be sad and angry or we can be a light in the world that brings hope and joy.

Let’s not ignore the tough stuff, but let’s commit to finding hoep and joy each day; practicing kindness always and have some fun. Let’s cook great, fresh, healthy food, celebrate spring and wellness and…chill out.