Page 2 - MidWeek - Feb 3, 2021

2 MIDWEEK FEBRUARY 3, 2021
Led Through Loss By Going Within
“To be fully alive, fully human and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To live fully is to be always in no-man’s land, to experience each moment as completely new and fresh. To live is to be willing to die over and over again.” — Pema Chödrön
SThe Language Of COVID
All kids have a fear, and from a young age, my greatest fear was to lose either of my parents. But I was to find we each have gifts and intu- ition, also, to help us deal with life’s difficulties.
o what happens when people are quarantined, con- fined, restricted and conflicted for almost a year? Well, strange terms develop as weirdness rules. Try a few of
Yet, listening to my dreams, and honoring my in- tuition has given me strength that has helped with the chal- lenges of this past year, and I’m grateful.
these on for size:
“Make America Grate Again.” This is what happens when
Several years ago, I expe- rienced a profound season of loss. Within two weeks, I was laid off from my job, a long-term relationship came to an abrupt end, and my grandfather died.
Through seasons of loss, including the loss of a loved one, the author has learned to go within to find strength.
people cannot (or should not) visit friends, relatives, neigh- bors, co-workers, and when nerves are frayed and the pan- demic rules shift over time. Everyone is angst-filled and frus- trated. Yes, the pandemic continues to be grating for everyone.
charting my way back to my childhood home in Hilo, using dreams as my guide. It was, in fact, exactly what I needed. This experience showed me that by being rooted in spirit, I could weather any storm.
together and made sure he knew I loved him. Our final visits included some quiet time with just the two of us, seeing Grandma (Dad’s mom) in Hilo before she passed last November, and spending the holidays with more family.
I’ll always miss Dad, but the process of going within helped me appreciate the beauty of our relationship and find the love in the void left behind.
“Damn-demic.” This is about the nicest thing you can call the resilient novel coronavirus.
“As Tiers Go By” or “The Tracks of My Tiers.” We’ve seen it all. Rules change, things seem to be getting better, we’re inching closer to allowing for more freedom — and then WHAM! Alas, restrictive tiers and redundant tears return.
I felt crushed and prayed for guidance.
Jason Walter is the mar- keting director at Hawai‘i Opera Theatre and is a local artist and author. He’s the founder of soul what, an indie arts brand that explores the soul through poetry, painting, photography and graphic de- sign. Visit soulwhat.xyz/blog
“Community spread.” No, this is not Tutu’s liliko‘i jam sold at the swap meet. It’s what happens when people either live or gather too close together in one area, thus helping to spread the virus. Gathering like this with friends and family used to be called “living.”
Unexpectedly, I dreamed I needed to leave O‘ahu, where I was born, attend- ed college, and had lived since graduating. I then asked for a sign—and saw a Yankees hat. Somehow, that felt right. I knew it was the arrow I was looking for. I headed for New York and went on a walkabout across the United States mainland for the next six months,
SPEED BUMP by Dave Coverly
“Flattening the Curve.” A kind term describing people’s efforts to lose the real COVID-19 — those 19 pounds we’ve all gained sitting around over the past 11 months.
Last September, I began to have a series of dreams about Dad with the message that even though he seemed OK and happy, he was slow- ing down. In hindsight, the earlier losses prepared me to embrace what little time that I sensed was left with my fa- ther. I maximized our time
Dad did indeed pass away, in some ways very unexpectedly, on Feb. 25, 2020, at 72. There is no way around the sense of loss. One must experience the shock, numbness and sad- ness. Grief must be traveled through.
to learn more.
Chasing The Light is pro-
duced by Lynne Johnson and Robin Stephens Rohr. Edited by Sharon Linnéa.
“Social Distancing” and “Virtual Meetings.” Two terms poorly explained. We’re not supposed to social distance, we’re actually supposed to physical distance from one anoth- er. And that seventh Zoom meeting I had today? That wasn’t a virtual meeting, I was there; it was all too real, with real people attending (and staring into space), and no virtual an- ime, manga, VR headsets, or videogame characters allowed.
New Century Schoolbook bold (scaled H 73.6)
“Self-monitoring.” Originally meant for us to check our- selves for COVID-19 symptoms, it has now taken on more nuanced implications, as we should constantly take stock of our (and others) mental and physical health as this nagging nightmare continues.
“Zoom-ology.” The scientific study of human behavior observable only by watching humans staring at their 10th Zoom call of the day. Otherwise known as “zombie-ism.”
“Facts-ine.” What non-believers need to spend more time studying to feel comfortable that, yes, a COVID-19 vaccine is a scientifically proven ally in this microscopic war.
“Venti-later.” This is what we call a person who lets us know (via “venting”) that they’re fed up with COVID-19. Kind of like I’ve just done with this column, as the ongoing pandemic wavers and yet persists.
Think about it ...
CHASING THE
LIGHT
with Jason Walter
john@thinkaboutithawaii.com