My name is David Erskine and Dr. Kathleen Allen asked me to write a guest blog from just ten minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco since, seven Bay Area counties were the first in the country to shelter in place on March 15th, 2020 or The Ides of March.
Here we are 441 days later (May 28th) with the goal to move into the yellow zone, support front line health workers and 14 months later with 86.5% of this county with at least one vaccination shot. Also, wearing a mask and social distancing is now optional. How did we get from there to here?
Let me break it down into three sections and see if that touches something in you and your experience since March 15th, 2020.
Gratitude
- Gratitude for the simple things. Could be a spring blossom, bird chirping or a breath of fresh air filling our lungs.
- The ability to get vaccinated easily, safely, and quickly.
- Remember family and friends first.
- Sitting outside on your favorite bench. Mine is on the Sun Trail above Muir Woods and seeing Stinson Beach and the Pacific Ocean in the distance.
- Hugging my daughters safely for the first time in over a year.
- Sunrise touching my window/Sunset approaching in the early evening.
- Talking less and embracing listening more.
Giving
- Tell a joke to a barista and bringing a smile to their face.
- Buy a pizza for a hungry teacher.
- Morning hello to a fellow runner or biker.
- Give kindness to the Pacific Ocean or your favorite body of water.
- Dinner with my daughter and her girlfriend outside at Vascos.
- Give to others and remember “my ego is not my amigo”!
- Embrace nature and every breathe.
Truth
- Each of us needs to stand up to facts that are based on facts and science.
- Remember Black Lives Matter…Breonna Taylor…Say Her Name.
- Call out those opposed to being vaccinated. Science is science.
- Speak up for our democracy and understand it is fragile.
- Hold the January 6th Insurrectionists accountable and their enablers.
- Stand up vocally against the Big Lie.
- Feel/Act/Support the Truth
To summarize, the world has changed forever, and we can be a part of it. Get vaccinated as over 250M people have already. Do not forget the Heroes on the front lines who will live in our hearts and minds forever and our collective worldwide will to help others is a sight to behold as Nature holds our collective hands and leads us forward with an opportunity to join her. The question remains what each of us will choose…for me Count Me In with gratitude and love!
