FIGHTING FOR YOUR LIFE

Watching the news updates on the global pandemic, and even seeing the local news reports here in New York is absolutely heartbreaking, and for many…scary.

People fighting for their lives on respirators, and yet way too many losing that fight.

I don’t know the statistics at present, it must be hard enough just taking the count of the dead and placing them into makeshift morgues.

But I can only guess, as previously mentioned in my earlier posts, that many have age to underlying health issues that have weakened their fight.

Fight it!

We’re all part of a lifestyle today where unhealthy food is plentiful and cheap, and seems to be placed in easily accessible locations such as drive ins for example.

Every one of us can help ourselves right now during lockdown, by simply looking at ourselves in the mirror to begin with, and being brutally honest.

Ask yourselves some “sobering” questions: Do I drink too much? Do I eat a healthy balanced diet? Do I smoke? Is my lifestyle conducive to fighting through this virus? Am I in a good place mentally to get through this? Do I have a plan, am I putting things into perspective? Am I an asset or a hindrance right now?

My own honest answer to some of those questions was a wake up call.

I’m 65 now, and in the zone for perhaps being hit hard if I contract the virus.

I’m pretty fit already for my age, but I decided there and then, to use this “lockdown” to get even fitter, stronger,  cleaner, happier, and overall healthier…not only to fight this virus, but the next one that hits, the next one after that, and the next one after that…

We’re all in uncharted waters today, whether we have underlying health issues caused through a genetically inherited disease, or just letting things slip over the years.

There are never any guarantees in life, but staying a step ahead certainly helps.

Turn your bedsit, apartment, or house into a 12 week or so health farm, whether you’re alone or as a family, whether you have 6ft of ground space, or 6 acres.

Our governments reacted way too late, whether local, State or Fed…and whether in the USA, UK or elsewhere. Even today the “experts” are disagreeing with each other to the best way forward. Health v economy…it’s a really tough call. As in the long term there could end up being more casualties due to the economy heading south and individuals losing jobs by the minute.

I’m not into a blame game for this scenario, because I’ve spent way too long living through conflict, and blame can never change what’s already happened.

What we all need to do though, is learn, learn, learn.

I know, that at the end of the day, it’s all about being proactive.

“Self, family, tribe…self, family, tribe…” I’ve had this drummed into me by tough individuals who have had a lifetime of war in places that the person on the street in Western society would never want to face.

I’ve learnt heaps from these words. Self and family is self explanatory, but tribe to me is my friends and neighbours.

I know for a fact that when things get tough, we’re all on our own. These are very early days, where will we all be this time next year, when the virus has returned, perhaps multiple times? Virus v economy is a massive test of individual priority already…again, where will those priorities be in a year?

We have to help and keep an eye on one another, and we all need to remain calm with a realistic plan. Because right now, even with many professional responders going down with the virus, every day…there are less and less police, fire and ambulance on the streets. My thoughts head towards what this could all lead to if the present trend continues into weeks and months!

Never in my lifetime have we needed each other more…but ultimately help yourself to fight this before helping anyone else…otherwise you may well be in the same position as way too many at present, and not being able to help anyone any more.