How are you coping?

[Aloka]

Dear friends,

I thought I'd revive this topic and ask again how everybody is coping in these difficult times on Planet Earth in 2022.

If anyone's looking in, I'd also like to ask if you have a specific daily Dharma practice which you find helpful at the moment.

With metta,

Aloka

[philg]

I'm coping, but am really sad that nobody I know outside my immediate household cares about Covid any more. They have all bought into the 'live with it' propaganda. What really makes me sad is that I can never again see people I know in the same light. In terms of practice, I use a mixture of mindfulness and insight practice to remind me that people don't see things as they really are, but how they are told what to see, whether directly or indirectly.

[Aloka]

Thanks Phil.

How is everyone else? Are there any of our other members looking in these days?

I hope everyone is safe and well and that all sentient beings everywhere have peace, good health. and happiness.

[KathyLauren]

I am still getting by.

After my pneumonia and collapsed lung back in January, I have to be very protective of my respiratory system. It might have been covid; I had all the symptoms, but they just didn't find any virus. That is apparently a real thing. I will never know. But I can't afford to take chances on getting it (again?). They say it will take months to recover fully, if I do so at all. I am able to (and am required to) walk half an hour every day, but I have no stamina at all.

I miss social contacts. The community theatre has started up again, since all official restrictions are lifted. They try to mitigate the danger by encouraging the audience members to wear masks (most do) and by seating people with an empty seat between parties, but it is still a lot of people in a small, unventilated space. So we go to dress rehearsals instead of performances, since we are part of the theatre community. The performances are less polished, but there are fewer people in the theatre. I'll be doing lights and sound for a couple of plays later this year. That is pretty safe: I'll be by myself in the sound booth.

But we can go days without seeing anyone. We don't go to the weekly coffee and chat meetings. We do grocery shopping and other essential errands, and that is about it.

At least most people here are being sensible. Mask wearing is still normal: more people are masked in public than not. Our case totals have started coming down in the last couple of weeks, though much of that is from under-reporting.

I hope everyone else is still hanging in.

Om mani padme hum
Kathy

[Aloka]

Its really good to hear from you again Kathy, and wishing you all the very best for your health and happiness.

Stay safe & well

[Olderon]

Recently returned from New Brunswick on a short cruise along the West Coast of U.S.A. and C.A. on Viking Lines. It was kind of a forced trip due to COVID canceling our trip to Budapest in 2020. Continuing with yard work and walking our dog as coping mechanisms. Nothing much more to report other than a few plumbing recirculation projects to complete our newly installed tankless hot water heater system.

Hope all others are doing well.

Ron

[PhillyG]

Here in Germany almost all restrictions are lifted as well.
The first two weeks people were cautions, but now everybody adapts to the "canceling" of the corona virus. Now almost anyone wears a mask, even in closed unventilated rooms like theaters.
I arrived a couple of days ago in a new town in South Germany because of work. The town flourishes, many young people and many cultures live here.

Getting used to a new environment is always a little stressful, but it turns out to be worth it most of the time. A great advantage: In town are three buddhist communities, supposedly more if the immigrant communities are included.

Greetings from the South

@Kathy: Hopefully your state of health will improve soon.

[Aloka]

Its lovely to hear from some of our members again !

Hopefully others will look in too and join us for a little chat.

[woodscooter]

A friend of mine attended a funeral in Leicester last week. There were about 90 people there, mostly 'oldies', that is to say past middle-age. My friend returned with a Covid-19 infection which became symptomatic after 2-3 days.

My part in this was to simply give a lift to my friend (before there were any symptoms), then stay for the weekend. Fortunately, I didn't pick up the infection, but I subsequently heard that 9 people who attended the funeral came out with symptoms a few days later.

Here in the UK there are no longer any laws to reduce cross-infection. It's all too easy to assume there's no threat any more. Other news has pushed awareness of Covid to a low level. This recent experience of mine has reminded me just how rapidly it can spread, given the opportunity.

[Olderon]

Hi, Woodscooter.

Same issues here in N.H., U.S.A.

Wife & I just attended a play in a public theater. >90% were without respiratory protection. So far we are healthy. Same age group as the one you cited. How quickly we forget.