Worry Doll & " Not Borrowing Trouble"

 

Authentic Guatemalan " worry doll" that I picked up at a shop in Hendersonville, NC that specialized in authentic handmade things by Native American people. I call her " Susanna", which means " lily" in Hebrew. Photo by The Pensacola Hippie. 

 Year 2020 has been a total shitshow for most of us. Fires out West, a worldwide pandemic, and here in the Gulf South, one big storm and another one in the Gulf as I write. This storm, " Delta" is not ' supposed' to hit us directly in Pensacola, but as " Sally" taught everyone : BE PREPARED AS IF THE STORM WILL HIT. 

   Brian and I are join just that: we are stocked u on all the essentials. Our extra gas cans are full of gasoline for our generator, should the storm hit and leave us without electricity for a few days. Our phones will be kept charged to full capacity, and thanks to the power strip, we will be able to keep the phones charged. 

 We will prepare, but we will NOT waste any precious time or energy " borrowing trouble".  We know that " Sally" was a freak of a storm, so we prepare but do not go one panic-driven buying sprees. Brian and I have what we need, but we are nor hoarders nor preppers. 

  To be honest, storms scare me.  But, I've learned a lot during this forced alternate reality that is Pandemic Life. 

For instance, I've learned to assume COVID is everywhere. Whenever Brian and I go anywhere in public, we always return to the truck , take off our masks, and wipe off our hands. Furthermore, we sanitize the used mask with an alcohol wipe, killing any germs that might have been stuck there. We also stay far away from unmasked people-- and here in The Redneck Riviera there are still some hold-outs who absolutely refuse to mask. 

 In order to keep my mental space clean I've been very intentional about what type and how much news I consume. This includes 'snoozing for 30 days' Facebook folx whom I love because every update I see wants to trigger my anxiety. I love y'all, but storm talk doesn't do me any good. { see ya AFTER storm season! } Additionally, I finally gave up on keeping a Twitter account--- as it was nothing but unfiltered opinions from mostly unreliable sources. I've been tempted during this pandemic & ugly election season  , to rid myself of Facebook, but I've discovered that the benefits out-weigh the annoyances. { Thank God for Unfollow and Snooze For 30 Days }

  Being prepared and taking safety measures to stay healthy is not panic.  Nor is being smart to keep yourself & others safe' living in fear'. Preparation & safe practices keeps both ourselves and our community safer. 

Amen. 

~Sarah McCarren