Then Came Covid - And Who Moved My Cheese?!!

 

There is a little book by Spencer Johnson M.D. a parable of sorts, that I love.  You can view a lovely little video that tells the story in animation, at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTHcO3F8ilU

In a nutshell it tells about 4 little beings; two mice, Snip and Scurry and two small 'humanoids' called Hem and Haw - who all love cheese and have a great supply.  

To each the cheese has a lot of special meaning.  It smells like home, it makes one feel cared for; it is a nurturing mother.  It is always there, and when they are gnawing hungrily at it, they feel content.  So, every day they come and eat until they are fat and can eat no more.  It seems like these halcyon days will last forever. 

But the little beings don't notice that they are eating away at the supply and doing nothing to replenish it.  And a day comes when the cheese is finished. What a catastrophe!  What will they do?  How will they get more food?  They have no currency; maybe they will starve!   Panic overwhelms them.  Suddenly they lose their sense of joie de vivre and their confidence in the safe,  predictability of their lives.  They scurry around searching for cheese but they can't find any.  They lose their energy and develop stomach pains from worry. Some days they feel like covering themselves with blankets and staying in bed.

 Now, each of the beings is a little different in some important ways.  So, Hum, who tends to be pessimistic, feels depressed. Why has this happened to him?  What will he do?  He holds his head in his hands and sighs a lot.  He can't imagine how he will get through the rest of his life.  His world has changed irrevocably, and he doesn't want to live this way.  Haw is also terribly afraid.  His fear drives him to run around looking for solutions.  Not finding any, he trembles.

 But Skip and Flurry, the two mice in the story, are different.  Naturally energetic, they frantically look for solutions.  Perhaps there is more cheese somewhere else?  Or maybe there will be something else to eat?  Maybe this and maybe that? They try out new ideas.  This certainly is a big challenge!

 They set about exploring their options.  Most of the time, they waste lots of energy.  But looking for solutions makes them feel more alive and releases endorphins into their blood which makes them feel good. Their brains haven't been so activate for years. 

 Voila!  Eventually, they find a new source of cheese.

 Haw, predictably, hums and haws and tries to get help from other places, but to no avail.  Everyone is in shock and struggles for answers.  Still eventually, he overcomes his fear and inertia and tentatively begins to explore new possibilities.

 I'm sure you can see the moral of this lovely story.  When Covid-19 hit us, it came like a bolt from the blue.  We were going about our lives, more or less content with our predictable lot.  Then suddenly our landscape changed absolutely.  Suddenly our pastimes were restricted.  As we feared contagion from our friends and neighbors, we stopped going to lectures and cancelled invitations to dinner parties.  The shops were shuttered and people we knew lost their money and incomes.  No longer being able to rely on their parents to help with the grandkids, many began to work at home.  Most people had small homes, which meant that were squashed together day and night and got on one another's nerves.  No wonder there was a steep rise in family stress. Family gatherings and celebrations became a thing of the past.  My choirs, which were my beacons of light and pleasure, were cancelled and I wondered – would they become a thing of the past?

 Nothing was the same. Some souls like Hem, withdrew and become sad, inert, despondent.  The problems are overwhelming.  They lacked the physical, mental and economic resources to cope with the new situation.  

 Others pulled together their resources to meet their ne realities head on.  

 I have heard of amazing solutions.  I joined a zoom social club and met weekly with a great group of women for discussions on all kinds of topics - from art to music to transport and to trees.  My daughter hosts zoom 'dinners' with friends. They dress up and share good wine and good food. A friend participated in a school class reunion which has led to interesting spin-offs.

 A wonderful organization called Classrooms without Borders, hosts interesting films and post film discussions on topics of Jewish interest.  And Harif, provides a similar service with films about the Jews from Arab lands - all for free.  Tel Aviv screened its annual film festival with cheap subscriptions.  And of course, great opportunities are being developed by Telfed and Esra and other organizations. 

 It is true that sitting and watching programs on the computer or tablet is not very comfortable.  But there are other things to do too.  I know gym teachers who give daily classes on zoom and in my building, a group of women meet on the lawn, for yoga sessions.  Another friend and I watch cooking shows and have learned to work with yeast for the first time. I even learned to bake cinnamon buns and challot!

 We've learned to shop on line; though it’s hell to master the Hebrew documentation.  And we pay car license fees and municipal taxes electronically.  It has become necessary to master so many new technologies that we never bothered about before.  But we surprise ourselves (and our children) at how well we meet the challenges.

 If one is sick or struggling to make ends meet, it is difficult to think freely and creatively.  And at times we all suffer from attacks of 'awfulitis'.  But life thumbs its nose at our difficulties.  There is no doubt that we're living through a period of turmoil and change puts great stress on our coping resources.  Still whenever we conquer a little fear or work past an obstacle, oh boy - it feels liberating!  It doesn't help dwell on the good ol' days.  When somebody moves our cheese, we have to get busy finding more.  And make it cheddar, please!