Staying Safe and Sane (hopefully)

I hope this finds you and your family healthy and well. We are going through an experience right now that they will write chapters about in the history books of the future.  Living in Los Angeles, I’ve lived through quite a few extreme moments in history…earthquakes, riots, fires and mass shootings. But this is a first. This time it’s planetary. Usually when the entire world is involved, it’s for a war, where one part of the planet is pitted against another. 

This time, we’re all on the same side. For years now, our political figures, social and news media have been driving wedges between us for their own benefit, whether it be to get elected, for money, or ratings. It occurred to me that this virus is like a physical manifestation of that wedge. As if in some universal way, our divisive thoughts have become reality. COVID-19 has literally put a 6 foot wedge between us. Yet, as disastrous as this ordeal has been, people are reaching out, across the divide. They’re coming out of retirement to help the healthcare workers. Donating time, money and resources. Consoling the sick and those who’ve lost, or just reaching out to make someone smile.

Ellie and I have watched a ton of uplifting Instagram Live broadcasts (even did a few of my own on IG Live), and we’ve attended “cocktail parties” with friends on Zoom. FaceTime. HouseParty. Old-fashioned telephone and email. I miss those live interactions with my parents and friends, as I’m sure you do. I didn’t realize how many seemingly insignificant visits I took for granted on a daily basis. With projects on hold and stay-at-home orders, I really thought I’d use this time for some new accelerated creative output. But I haven’t felt like it. Instead, I've gone inward, using this time to get centered and check in with myself. For me, this is a reset. It seems like perhaps a larger reset is in play here as well.

Thank you for sharing this journey with me—of creativity, and living our best lives.