Hi, I’m Tony Brigmon. And this is: Observations On The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Covid-19.
The opinions are my own. I’m not a scientist. I’m not a celebrity. Just a husband, a dad, a grandpa, and friend, sharing some observations. Let’s start with the Ugly.
Three Ugly’s that come to mind. First: Thousands have died from Covid-19. And many close friends and even some family members could not even gather publicly to pay their respect and give hugs of support to loved ones. They need our prayers and virtual support.
Second: Trust in the media and in our national and local leaders on both sides of the political aisle have decreased dramatically, leaving many to wonder: Who. Can. We. Trust?
Third: The Vitriol — okay, I looked it up — the cruel and bitter criticism on both sides of the political aisle is now out of control. It’s draining to watch these vicious exchanges that seem to be more about political agendas than the interests of our nation. This Vitriol keeps them from coming together in the interest of us all.
More than ever, we need total buy-in for Fred Rogers’ Three Rules for Success: 1. Be kind. 2. Be kind. 3. Be kind.
Yes, Covid-19 has been UGLY. Let’s move to the Bad. *** Spoiler Alert: The Good Part comes AFTER the Bad.
Three bad’s of Covid-19 that come to mind are: One: The devastating impact on our economy. Second: The lost jobs for so many. And Third: The impact that Social Distancing is having on our mental and emotional health.
Yes, Covid-19 has been UGLY and BAD. Yet, some Good has come from it as well.
First, Covid-19 has made ME realize more than ever what I can do without and what’s REALLY important. What’s really important for me are my family and friends and their well-being.
There ARE some things I can do without. Enough is enough and I don’t really need MORE than enough. And there are some things I can do for the future to be better prepared when something unexpected like this arises.
Second, Covid-19 has reminded me that service and sacrifice make me happy after I stop resisting them and get on with doing them. I’ve noticed how little acts of kindness and thoughtfulness for each other make my wife and me really happy. Reaching out to others virtually with phone calls and fun video messages also mean a LOT to them.
Third, Covid-19 has forced me to SLOW down and to capture some priceless memories I would have missed, and to appreciate things I tend to take for granted, and to try new things.
I am SO grateful to have observed part of the showdown between my wife and the sassy Squirrel in our backyard. My wife was protecting her garden like a mama bear protects her cubs. The squirrel was doing what squirrels do, digging up her garden. Unacceptable!
The Showdown took place near the back fence. My wife was armed with a BIG stick. The Squirrel was sitting on top of the fence with an attitude of defiance. My wife was giving it a piece of her mind. The squirrel was giving my wife a piece of its mind chattering away. Neither would back down.
Even when my wife hit the fence with her stick, the squirrel didn’t budge. There was a pause, then a stare down. Finally, my wife had enough and moved closer to knock that squirrel to kingdom come. The squirrel blinked and quickly scurried away. But, there will be another showdown on another day. No doubt!
This showdown between my wife and the squirrel made me think of the slogan: Speak softly but carry a BIG stick. Well, my wife clearly was not speaking softly but she did have the BIG stick and it worked. Oh, yeah.
Covid-19 also made me pause to think about what I have to be grateful for, things that I would miss if I no longer had them. And you know what? It’s a LONG list!
Since I have a lot of time on my hands, Covid-19 has given me the opportunity to try some new things. Like, I wanted to lose ten pounds. The thought came to me why not try drinking two swallows of water AFTER you swallow one bite of food. I heard that an elderly lady had dropped over 250 pounds following this eating plan.
So, I tried it for four weeks. Lost 11 pounds. How about that? And since I eat only twice a day, I never exceeded 10-12 cups of water a day which is within the recommended range.
Covid-19 has increased my Faith in God, My Hope for the future, and it has inspired me with creative ideas of new things I can do to provide for my family when this Pandemic is over.
How has it increased my Faith in God? Well, I believe the final solution to resolve this Pandemic will come to someone from above in the form of an impression as an answer to the prayers of millions. I’ve noticed my prayers with my wife have been more earnest as a result of Covid-19 and trust and feelings of assurance have replaced fear. So grateful for this.
We’ve been able to have our own church services on Sundays at home, reading from the scriptures together. and sharing insights with each other. This has brought us even closer together.
Covid-19 has increased my Hope for the Future because it has caused me to remember and reflect on how we’ve come together as a nation many times before when we were facing a crisis. We can do it again if we choose to. May we do so is my hope and prayer for our country.
And lastly, Covid-19 has led to inspiration for new changes in my work. One specific idea that came TO me was the thought of my being a Virtual Messenger of Positivity for organizations to help them address challenges they’re facing, have more fun, get more done, and bring out the best in everyone, by sharing and collecting ideas from all employees on how best to achieve this.
So, what are some positive things you’ve learned from the Covid-19 Pandemic? Any new things you’re doing now you weren’t doing before? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please share them with me and thank you for letting me share with you.
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Agnes Monzingo: My husband has always worked long, long hours or traveled all week for most of our many years together. When asked how we have stayed married, the standard answer has been , “He travels,” we often talked about how we would manage retirement and him being home all time.
We’ve discovered we do very well. Figuring how to make space when we needed it has proven easy and we are enjoying the additional communication taking place. Besides, we are still having fun together.
We are finding ways together to keep as busy as we want to be. Walks in our neighborhood are relaxing and “Sunday drives” to nowhere provide outing relief.
The spirit in our home for our Sunday church is strong and fulfilling. We have more time to chat with family & friends on the phone.
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