Submitted by Brad Inglis
Now is the time. I can’t help but feel like this is where the rubber hits the road. As we continue to slowly re-open the world, everyone is going to have to find their own comfort level and what that is going to look like.
It’s going to have to be a time when we keep our judgements to ourselves and focus on our own reintegration plan. What risks are we prepared to take? What feels comfortable and makes sense as we move from a complete lock down to understanding the realities of continued physical distancing?
One thing I think that we have learned, is that we need people. I don’t know about you, but I have a whole new appreciation for social interaction that is so important to us as humans. The internet has been great for keeping in touch, but face to face contact feeds us at a different level. In person, we seem to feed off each other’s energy in a different way. We can see facial expressions and it feels good to laugh with someone. As far as hugging, I think that will be a long way off…but baby steps are good.
Now that short term rentals have opened up, we are going to see a lot more unfamiliar faces. It will feel kind of startling when all we have experienced is our old familiar faces for a couple of months, but somehow, we need to adapt to this change. These unfamiliar faces are what fuel this community, employs people and ensures we will be able to salvage some sort of seasonal economy this year. We are all going to have to be mindful as visitors arrive that they bring both risk but also much needed cash flow in a time when we need it more than ever.
Way back in February the Sources of Knowledge invited me to present a talk and the title of it was My Journey With Mental Illness and How You Too Can Survive. It stormed that night and made it hard for folks to come out and now with covid there hasn’t been another opportunity to share it, until now. I have recorded it on Youtube, so you can find it there. Either google The Lazy Theologian or here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT5UnvzKuQM . If nothing else, it gives you a face to associate mental illness with.
It just serves as a reminder that managing mental illness is really important. It can be especially important in these days of uncertainty. When we are feeling shut in, there are additional stresses in our lives and we can feel isolated. You don’t need to be alone with this. There is lots of help available through the Family Health Team and many additional community supports that can be arranged and made accessible for you. You need to be brave and talk about it and reach out. It’s not easy but there is always hope. And one thing that is beautiful, people are kinder than you think!
Church services are still broadcast on Youtube weekly and you are welcome to contact me directly with questions you may have about anything I talk about – I’m considered bossy, so keep that in mind.
Blessings to you as you maneuver these daily changes that are occurring in our lives. Someone wrote that we are not all in the same boat, but we are experiencing the same storm. And the only way we will get through it, is with good communication, humour, love and compassion.
Brad Inglis is the minister at Tobermory United Church. He can be reached at binglis2@me.com
www.tobermoryunited.ca
519-596-2821 (Home)
