Once they are gone, the world will never be the same

Posted on by serenitisparkles

There are few left on this earth that remember a time when technology didn’t absorb us. Grandparents and great grandparents born in the early 20th century can recall a more simple time. Often they tell stories of games, dinner table conversations, living most days outdoors and having to use their mind for amusement. These are the people the young generation mocks because they can’t properly use a cell phone, or social media. But what they can do, and what they can teach us is more valuable than any other lesson available on earth today. When they leave us, many of their stories, their experiences, and their mannerisms will too. We will become more and more disconnected to human interaction and what that feels like. As the years go on and the elders pass away, there will be no one left to tell us why we should put our phones down. There will be no more phone calls on the other end with people who would rather talk than text.

Handwriting will be a thing of the past as will moments where we gaze into each others eyes while speaking. The social addiction of our phones and devices will have no more barrier to fight through. Because isn’t it our elders that tell us to remember to look each other in the eyes when we speak? Isn’t it our elders that remind us that beautiful days should not be wasted behind a video game console?

The world changed right before their eyes and they couldn’t possibly keep up because what felt good for them was the memories of a cup of milk at the kitchen table with mama. Not a phone, nor a tv, nor a video game could replace what secret to human experience that they hold. Covid-19 has been killing our elders off at a faster rate than anyone could have foreseen. My hope for you today is that you read this post, realize that time is running out, and learn from those who know better than us on how to be human.

Is COVID-19 proving the Gaia Theory?

Posted on by serenitisparkles

The Gaia Theory proposes that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic and self-regulating, complex system that helps to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet.

The theory states that as Earth’s population increases, and becomes overpopulated, the Gaia (mother nature), will rid the Earth of inhabitants by things such as natural disasters, tragic events caused by man, environmental change, and disease.  

It is quite simple to understand when you think about it.  Though you can’t see it happening, every minute of the day we lose about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells off the surface of our skin.  New skin is constantly being created on our bodies and because of this natural shed of skin, our skin maintains it’s purpose.  The new skin cells gradually push their way to the top layer. When they reach the top, they die and are “weathered” by the environment and your daily activities.  Eventually, the dead cells break away from the epidermis and fall off, making room for newer cells growing up from below.

It is the natural cycle that lives all around us.  

Let’s use another example of Earth’s natural cycle.  Our body temperature is controlled by thermoregulation.   Your brain controls thermoregulation. When it senses your internal temperature becoming too low or high, it sends signals to your muscles, organs, glands, and nervous system.  It responds accordingly.  For instance;

If your body needs to cool down, you may start sweating.  If you need to heat up, you may start to shiver.

Self-regulation is all around us.  It can be found in the tiniest of organisms to the entire atmosphere.

In the Gaia theory, COVID-19 would be a self-regulatory act of the Earth.  It would be one way that the Earth combats overpopulation and the detrimental impact of human greed on Earth.  8 out of 10 people that die from COVID-19 are over the age of 65.  This means that out of the 773,000 deaths brought upon by this disease, 618,000 were elderly.  If you believe in the Gaia Theory, this statistic is shocking evidence that as the Earth’s population grows, the Earth teaches us that the cycle can’t be broken.  No matter the advances in modern medicine, Gaia will make a way for the young to enter the cycle and the old to exit.

Comment below with your thoughts.

What are we afraid of? Fearing Covid-19

Posted on by serenitisparkles

The summer of 2020 has been a challenging one to say the least.  Not because of events within my home or family, but because of the constant reminder that we should fear each other and stay “safe”.

Terminal illness is something I know very well as my father succumbed to death by liver cancer at the age of 49.  Illness is something I know well as I have an 8 year old daughter who gets the flu every season.  Drug addiction and illness is also something that has touched my life in a tragic way when I lost my aunt to her addiction.   Yet, I kept on living.

So I beg to ask the question, what are we afraid of?

Are we more afraid of a virus than we are of complete government oversight and control?  Are we more afraid of a virus than our children growing up without a childhood?  Are we more afraid of a virus than a world of social distancing and separation?  Are we more afraid of a virus than we are of fighting for our freedom?

Yesterday, in the grocery store, I made sure to mask up and go about my regular weekly shopping.  I observed people as they walked by making sure they weren’t “too close” to me.  I observed the discomfort of not being able to see if a person was smiling at me or frowning.

In my home, I have an eight year old little girl who is an only child.  A little girl who once upon a time thought anything was possible, yet now she can’t even enjoy the first day of school.  She watches as the school buses pass by in the neighborhood, not because they are picking her up, but because they are being paid to train on their routes for food drops.

My child, whose father lives in South America, cries for the moment she will see him again.  She asks me almost daily when this will be all over so she can see her dad.  For the first time, the mom who knows it all has to tell her baby, “I don’t know”.

Most people I know that have had Covid-19 (and that number I can count on one hand), are alive and breathing and living.  Those friends of mine that have had the virus are now stigmatized by the rest of the world as having “The Virus”.  Though they are all clear of the virus today, they are still excluded from family moments and gatherings.

When you ask me, What are you afraid of?  My answer is very different than what you may think during this pandemic.

I fear that this is the new normal.  I fear that we have entered a time of no return.  I fear that we will all be forced to vaccinate to live a “normal” life again.  I fear that the laws surrounding this pandemic will last beyond the virus.  I fear that people won’t introduce themselves with a hug anymore.  I fear that the government will use 5-G and technology to invade our homes and our lives in the name of “safety”.  I fear that my daughter won’t have a first day of school because digital learning proved to be more economic for the states.  I fear that she won’t be able to make a “new” friend because the parents are scared she may be infected.  I fear that small talk in the grocery store has ended.  I fear that human interaction has been forever tainted.

We are watching the powerful make decisions for all of us.  We are watching it without having real facts and statistics.  The chains have been applied to all of us, not just US citizens, but humans around the world.

I fear that the chains will not come off in my lifetime.

Georgia’s Dangerous Game

Posted on by serenitisparkles

Russian Roulette is a lethal game of chance in which a player places a single round in a revolver, spins the cylinder, places the muzzle against their head, and pulls the trigger, in the hope that the round does not reach the barrel of the gun and therefore fire.

Metaphorically, Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp, decided to play too.  The gun is Covid-19 and the players are residents of Georgia.  The data as of right now shows 608 new cases in a 24 hour period, and 20% of tests given showing positive with under 1% of the population being tested.  These numbers should be eerily concerning for any resident of Georgia with the State Governor opening it’s doors to the public as of April 24th.

While the rest of the world is playing it safe and enforcing stay at home orders, Gov. Brian Kemp sees an opportunity to stand out among the masses.  For all the wrong reasons.  Human safety is a worldwide concern with Covid-19 taking the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.  50,000 people in the U.S. alone have died because of this deadly virus and yet Georgia, home of Atlanta, decides to do what all doctor’s and scientists have warned against.

Opening too early will have a catastrophic affect on the state of Georgia for years to come.  The Atlanta Metropolitan area makes up most of Georgia’s population with roughly 6 million people.  It is a densely populated area.

As of 2018, Atlanta, GA had 12,800 total hospital beds, of which about 74% were occupied, potentially leaving only 3,340 beds open for additional patients. The bed count includes 1,620 beds in intensive care units, according to data from the American Hospital Association and the American Hospital Directory. Intensive care units are best equipped to handle the most acute coronavirus cases.

This means that when people stop social distancing and Covid-19 infections rise, Georgia will be the next NYC.  There is a potential for rapid increase in numbers because of Atlanta’s dense population.

So what happens when Georgia’s hospitals become too full, more people will die who didn’t have to.  Social distancing allows our hospitals to control the flow of patients and give the best care to the ones who really need it.  Without social distancing and stay at home orders, more people will get sick, more will need intensive care, and Georgia doesn’t have the ability to support the next wave that will come.

Never before in my lifetime has a politician had the ability to put my life at risk.  Never before has a politician been able to make the decision that would inevitably cause more death.  Gov. Brian Kemp decided to play a very dangerous game with the residents of Georgia, I pray that the bullet that is coming be stopped before it’s too late.

The Bright Side

Posted on by serenitisparkles

As we watch the coronavirus consume our news outlets, our cities, and our way of life as we once knew it to be, we must look on the Bright Side.

I am not one to wallow in sadness, nor am I a person to let the pain overcome and lead me into depression.  So personally, I choose to look on the bright side.

With thousands of people dying all over the world, the bright side may seem hard to find.  But to survive this pandemic mentally, we must.

So what is so great about this moment in on earth.

I live in Atlanta, GA.  Traffic is horrendous, the party scene is non-stop, money rules the city, noise from the traffic is loud at all times of the day, you never seem to have time to spend at home with your family because work is first, and it is more common to eat out then at home.

The Bright Side:

  1. Traffic is obsolete.  When you absolutely need to leave your home and go to the grocery store, you can be sure to enjoy clear roads, and effortless transit.
  2. There is no party scene.  The party is in your home, with the people who matter most.  Partying now consists of things other than drinking and hanging out.  The party can involve a game of Monopoly or  kicking the soccer ball around outdoors.
  3. Money no longer rules anything.  Whether you are rich or poor financially, you are stuck at home.
  4. There is no noise from the cars and trucks.  You can sit outside and feel as if you have gone to the rural countryside.
  5. The work you do now is consumed with how to keep your family with positive minds and hearts.  You no longer have to leave your home for 12 hours to work those two jobs, missing important family moments.  You are required to stay home and work on your family.
  6. Home cooked meals have become standard, and Mc Donald’s, Burger King, or Taco Mac have become a thing of the past.

Most importantly, we have been made to focus on what is vital to our lives.  It isn’t the party, it isn’t the celebrity, it isn’t the money.  It is simple.  Our family, our home, our shelter, our food, and our inner peace is what matters most.  Covid-19 has become the catalyst that saves humanity.

What is the message? We ALL know better than this.

Posted on by serenitisparkles

Don’t use all that toilet paper.  Be conscious of how much you consume.  We don’t know what lies ahead but what we do know…..a message.

In order to make sense of the chaos, one must find the purpose.  For most, it is not the illness that we fear most.  It is what is happening all around us.

Everything is closing, everything changing.  We look into the news, into our feeds and we watch the world unravel before our eyes.  We try to answer the questions from our children in a lighthearted and positive way, yet we find that harder and harder to accomplish.

We can’t help but pay attention to….Well frankly, all of it.

So what does it all mean.  What can we do to ease the burden of our anxiety?

I believe it is our duty to be conscious.  We knew something like this would face us.  We knew we couldn’t keep going like this.

We must look at the feat in front of us, be strong, and remember we are all here to learn.  COVID-19 may be the most valuable lesson many us will ever face in this lifetime.  Our mothers and fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers, they all had something similar to this.  No it has never been so heavy.  But we have been heavy.  We have been taking and taking, climbing and stepping on our brothers and sisters.

We are humanity and this is a peril.  Many of us will make it through this, but the question remains, what will we do different.