This week, we observe the one-year anniversary of “two weeks to flatten the curve”.
Last March, the planet was gripped by terror as we encountered a novel respiratory virus, with no inkling of what its short- or long-term consequences might be.
Seemingly overnight, we were consumed by a search for answers, for experts to turn to, for the comfort of a sensible script to follow.
We were desperate for anything that promised protection from a rampaging virus, and the ensuing fear of mass extinction.
At the time, our fears seemed valid, so it felt reasonable to hunker down at home, miss weeks of work, and avoid our friends and extended families.
Anything seemed worthwhile to slow the spread of the virus so that we could minimize the prospect of hospitals (and morgues) becoming overwhelmed with victims.
We may have been scared, but we were also hopeful.
Perhaps two weeks of radically-different living would not only save our species, but might even light the way for positive change in other areas, such as our relationship with the environment, and daily office commutes.
We scrambled to the stores to stock up on groceries and toilet paper to get us through what we expected would be a few weeks of extreme isolation, in order to preserve our shared humanity.
The media highlighted our newfound love of baking banana bread, and the return of dolphins to Italy’s coast – so we might feel like we were making worthy sacrifices.
The use of cloth masks began as extra protection for those who were essential workers, because of the worldwide shortage of N95 masks.
As stories came out about hospital staff and their shocking lack of access to personal protective equipment, the cottage sewing industry experienced a boom. In a desperate, heartfelt effort, crafty people started making and donating cloth masks to hospitals. Shortly after that, the public started wearing them, too.
Originally, lockdowns and social distancing were proposed as short-term, extreme measures to “flatten the curve”, which seemed fairly straightforward at the time.
The false dichotomy insisted that we would either lock down swiftly, or allow the inevitable consequences of a deadly virus to wipe out humanity as we knew it.
Except, neither of those things actually happened…and our society has become hobbled – not by death tolls from a virus, but from the widespread effects of fear, coercion, shame, and rigid control.
The fact is, the staggering health crisis we feared did not come to pass in the way we anticipated. Instead, like a hydra, the monster-pandemic grew many more terrifying heads in the place of the one we were determined to cut off.
Foremost, the impact on our collective mental health from living through extended lockdowns and social distancing is monumental, and will likely take several decades to unravel this multifaceted trauma.
Social isolation has directly contributed to skyrocketing suicide rates in both young people and adults, for whom the consequences of lockdowns have been much more frightening than the virus itself.
We are seeing an increased rate of illness and death, unrelated to the virus, in the elderly population, for whom in-person social interaction is a critical piece of their overall wellbeing. Our seniors in assisted living facilities and nursing centres are dying alone, saying good-bye to their loved ones via FaceTime calls.
Many other people are dying not from a virus, but from complications of other illnesses and issues that they were denied or delayed treatment for – because fear of the virus was given priority over their real-time health emergencies.
The so-called death toll from the virus continues to be inflated around the world, even as international health organizations quietly bury the real numbers on their websites.
Widespread school closures have disproportionately affected women’s careers, as they’ve been forced to assume the role of Zoom-meeting-coordinator for their children’s schooling, on top of managing the household and care-giving duties for the rest of their family.
Originally, we were advised only to wear a mask if we were sick, to protect others. Then, we were told to simply assume that we are sick and therefore pose a risk to others, even when we are free of symptoms and feel healthy (i.e. “asymptomatic”).
Despite the emerging research on their efficacy and usefulness (or lack thereof), the face mask has become enshrined as a bold statement, rife with assumptions about one’s character, intelligence, and even political leanings.
Children and even toddlers are learning to fear breathing freely. What’s worse, they are being deprived of the opportunity to read the facial expressions of those around them.
Facial expressions are critical for learning nonverbal communication and social cues, which convey safety, warmth, and friendliness – or their absence.
Somehow, a year after we fervently agreed to “flatten the curve”, we find ourselves in a deeply-altered society.
While many people are still steeped in self-validating fear, there’s a growing number of us who are questioning the persistent narrative.
Why are we not seeing more curiosity about masks, and the risks and benefits of their widespread, long-term use?
Why are we not demanding the use of early, out-patient treatment methods, which have been proven effective in multiple countries around the world over the past year?
Why are we so accepting of measures that restrict our freedom, now that it’s clear this virus is not the mass-extinction event we feared it would become?
Why are so many people blindly accepting what the mainstream propaganda industry is telling them, without doing their own research? There are so many sources of high-quality, alternative information available, and so many incredibly brave, independent journalists, doctors, and scientists sharing information that the mainstream simply refuses to investigate.
>> For example, listen to Canadian Doctors Speak Out by clicking HERE <<
As a species, how have we become so passive? So willing to blindly follow whatever narrative we’re fed by the low-frequency POO* (Power Over Others) tyrants? (* A term coined by Inelia Benz.)
Perhaps most importantly, when will we recognize that we’ve been collectively manipulated by fear and confusion – and take our power back?
We must now contend with the traumatic aftermath of being crippled by fear, social isolation, and the shocking increase of widespread economic hardship.
Exactly one year ago, we were vigilant and ready to do our part to “flatten the curve”, to reduce the suffering of our fellow humans.
We thought that we were fortunate to be educated in natural wellness and immunity, and that we could be a beacon in our communities by helping others to learn what we knew, and to take empowering action.
However, as the weeks turned into months, and the narrative seemed to spiral into directions we scarcely could have imagined, we realized – with increasing dismay – that the real pandemic being peddled was fear.
In the past year, we have learned there are many people who ridiculously believe the human immune system cannot be improved or influenced by nutrition or lifestyle choices, and is fixed, or static – rather like our 1990s-era understanding of genetics.
As the world moved on from banana bread and Netflix binges, we realized that this was a watershed moment in our lives – to re-evaluate what we thought we knew, and to deeply, dramatically reconsider the path we’ve been following.
Fear is the prime emotion that society is steeped in…and that is perhaps the most unhealthy habit of all.
We have long known that the state of fear is a poor place to make sound decisions or to experience the joy of being fully alive.
Instead of buying into fear, it is time to embrace the uncertainty around us as a pivotal moment to reinvent our future. Instead of clinging to our genuine experiences of loss and pain over the past year, it is time to transmute them into fuel sources for our renewed empowerment.
In this way, we may honour our past trauma and arise like a phoenix from the ashes of what has been, by many measures, a series of lightning-struck towers.
Through it all, our understanding of health and wellness has only become more nuanced and far-reaching.
Learning how to holistically care for our bodies and minds has become even more essential, because the truth empowers us to become self-reliant, and therefore less obedient.
In order to be free to say yes, we must also retain the freedom of dissent, and the power to question what we are being told. Science is never settled – because once it is, it becomes dogma.
If you are reading this and feeling uncertain, still suffering under the weight of isolation and fear, please know that we were once there, too. We have been humbled by the gravity of shifts in our beliefs, as so many harsh truths have been brought to light.
Please, also, consider that this is your clarion-call to shed the isolated darkness and fear with a newfound emphasis on seeking the truth, questioning pat answers, and embracing the unknown as a catalyst for forward momentum.
The time for fear and stagnation is at an end, and we are emerging from the winter with a profound appreciation for the growth and changes we’ve weathered.
As we tend to our traumas and find the courage to move forward, we must be honest about what we’ve been through, without missing the growth and clarity we’ve gained – however hard-won.
A candle shines brightest in the dark, and so we must become like fire – fearlessly creating and shaping our reality – and allowing our white-hot boundaries to insulate us from the dampening of fear, shame, and conformity. Our time is now, if we cultivate the courage to blaze brightly.
