Optimism—a Noun: 1. Hopefulness and Confidence in Something, 2. Disposition or Tendency to Look on the More Favorable Side of Events or Conditions and to Expect the Most Favorable Outcome, 3. The Belief That Good Ultimately Predominates Over Evil in the World.
Such is the case for us Boomers and Seniors, with what we’re enduring at this point in time. And we’re all asking ourselves what we need to do to stay positive in these incredibly troubling times, and moreover, how to stay positive and remarkably optimistic not only for ourselves but our family and friends, near and far.
A quote by Christopher Reeves: “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”
My auntie of 96 years lives in Omaha, Nebraska. My BoomerGuy just spoke with her on the phone to make certain she is healthy and well, and moreover, to ensure she understands what is happening to our world, as we know it. She is remarkably mentally sharp and overwhelmingly optimistic, and said she was doing quite well, thank you, and her refrigerator, freezer and pantry are full of wonderful groceries and fruit, thanks to her daughter who delivers them then sets them by the front door. Then she and her daughter proceed to talk with one another on opposite sides of the glass with their cell phones to make certain auntie Betty is doing all the right things with her medications and taking care of all other personal matters. And I was worried about her??? I don’t care how you define it, Aunt Betty and her daughter both are heroes in this terribly uncertain world.
There isn’t one person I have spoken with that is not affected by this pandemic, either across the seas or here in this great country of ours.
Yes, our daily lives have changed drastically. We have been and are a society with so much handed to us, always on the go, always exploring new and different, and making plans for the next great event or gathering. Many of us may have had our children, grand kids, and friends and neighbors coming over for fun times and memorable occasions. But not now. Times are different, aren’t they?
My BoomerGuy and I went out to Walmart the other day to stock up on various groceries that were absolutely needed. While we were there, we picked up a few supplies for projects that we have around the house. We arrived shortly before 7:00 am when they opened and we were the only ones present except for a few employees. We wore our disposable gloves, face masks, ball caps and carried Clorox wipes. We had our list, which is all important and a must, because it enabled us to get in and out in less than 15 minutes. We arrived home, set our purchases outside, stripped off in the garage, threw our clothes in the wash basin, wiped off the bottom of our shoes, then jumped into the shower and washed our hair. We do that every time we go out, which fortunately is not that often.
It really doesn’t matter if you’re younger or older than us Boomers and reading this, you may now have kids at home, from college, from lost jobs, from lost direction, or whatever. And just when you thought freedom was yours, no one could have predicted or prepared you for this. And of course, without question, you will open your home and heart to help out.
As Helen Keller said, “although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.”
And that is precisely what we as American’s and Boomers are all about, and what we here at BoomerGal do on a daily basis to instill positivity and inspiration even during the most difficult of times.
You need to step back just a bit. It was slightly more than two months ago that we were either at the game or sitting with friends and family watching one of the best Super Bowls of our time. Think about that!—only 60-days ago on February 2nd. We were sitting with our BoomerGuys or hosting a party. A month before that we were celebrating Christmas and New Year’s, virtually without a care in the world. We were flying here and there to visit friends, family and preparing for the next vacation or cruise. The economy was on a roar, unemployment was at an all-time low, consumer sentiment was at an all-time high, our 401k’s were screaming… Now all of that’s in our rear-view mirror—in three short months.
The good news. You and I will rise up from this. This whole coronavirus might be something novel in terms of what it represents, but we Boomers have survived many disasters equal to or far worse than we’re dealing with now. It’s just different. In the few that I’ve mentioned below, like the coronavirus, we did not know the outcome. But we stepped boldly into the unknown and persevered.
- Our friends, classmates and family who went off to fight in the Vietnam war.
- Thousands marched in support of the Civil Rights movement, then came the assassination of Martin Luther King.
- We witnessed the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy.
- Our days of 911, where my BoomerGuy was near ground zero but returned home safely to me.
- We experienced the contemporary viruses of HIV-AIDS (1991), SARS (2002), MERS (2012), and Ebola (2014) through the previous three decades.
- The San Francisco (Loma Prieta) earthquake of 1989 when we lived in the Bay Area.
- The energy crisis of the 1970’s when gasoline was rationed.
- The recessions of the 1980’s and 1990’s, and the collapse of dot-com bubble in early 2000.
- The complete and total energy crisis of 2003-2010.
- The swine flu epidemic of 2009 where an estimated 150,000 – 575,000 died globally.
- The housing and mortgage economic downturn 2008-2011.
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
Vince Lombardi
No wonder we’re tired. BUT WE SURVIVED!!! Some of these catastrophes were certainly not killers, but the mere fact they occurred without any certainty of an outcome made them no less daunting and frightening. And today, as I reach out to friends all over the world, we are as strong, focused and optimistic as ever. We LISTEN, we EMBRACE the guidelines from the experts, we LEARN, we NEVER LOSE SIGHT of our dreams, aspirations and goals, and we NEVER EVER SURRENDERED OUR SPIRIT!
Look for all of my coronavirus blogs and posts throughout the month of April. They will be inspirational and filled with helpful tips and hints on how to survive during these incredibly uncertain and difficult times.
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t walk then crawl, but
whatever you do keep moving forward”
Martin Luther King, Jr.