A time for waiting and how to spend it

A few thoughts from Kyle Ripley during these strange and unknown times.

“Time is what we want most, but...what we use worst.” - William Penn

Well, this is new. None of us have come up against something like this before. Nothing that we learned in school spoke of this. We’ve heard stories of times sort of like this from near and far. But to see the entirety of the United States change its topic of conversation overnight and to watch traffic cut by 60-70% in a day is something I’ve never seen before.

This time is definitely a wake up call to many. Some were prepared for something like this. Most weren’t. There is an overwhelming amount of conjecture and speculation regarding what is happening and why. I have some ideas as to what is going on, but I’m not going to get into any of that. The bottom line is that it is happening. You and I are both awake. This is no simulation. This is your life.

A friend of mine casually mentioned that he hasn’t had this much time off in 20 years; he stated this on day 3 of the restaurant closure. I think this is absolute gold. There are a lot of unknowns. Here’s something you can hang your hat on: worry isn’t going to add one hour to your life. (In fact, there is quite a bit of evidence to suggest just the opposite.)

Here are my unsolicited suggestions:

1. Read a book

But perhaps in a category or genre from which you don’t usually read. If you’re a perfectionist like me, you probably don’t read for pleasure all that well because you aren’t ‘being productive enough’. Read something else, just for fun.

2. Have real conversation

How long does everyone have to keep banging on this topic to get it to stick? Your phone is killing you. Put it down and talk to a real person. (Temporary exception to this rule: if there is no one on the couch next to you, call someone and talk to them about something that is NOT the covid-19.)

3. Make something

Take a sticky note, put it on your TV with two words on it: “Make something”. Don’t look at me like that. I don’t care what it is, just make something.

This is a time for us; and I mean that. We didn’t ask for it and wouldn’t have ordered it, but it’s on our plate. Make the best of the time and use it wisely.