At the desk, 8:14 a.m.
It's been a tragic summer here in Colorado. Everywhere I go, people stop to talk about what happened either in the park next to my house or a mile away at the movies. They know that I worked with severely traumatized adults and kids in other situations. They want to share their story and how this mess has made them relive the days and nights of a decade ago.
They ask me - "What can I do?"
You can imagine that "You can love" doesn't go over very well.
So here's a few actual things you can do for yourself and the victims:
1. Turn off the television: Seriously. There's no new information. No one has any thing to say. What's been done is done. The 24 hour news channels will talk about this thing, and only this thing, for the next two weeks straight. Stop watching.
2. Do what you do best: If you bake, bake something for your neighbors. If you knit, knit something for a children's charity. If you're an awesome parent, spend sometime with your kids. If you write, write something uplifting and give it away for free. You need focus on what you do best so that you can build up your strength. We aren't out of this thing we're calling an 'economic downturn.' We need everyone to be strong and ready to chip in.
3. Stop talking about it; thinking about it; reading about it; focusing on it: There is nothing that these jerks like more than having you spend your precious time thinking about them. Some of these guys and gals do these crazy thing JUST SO YOU WILL THINK ABOUT THEM! You want to really DO something - stop thinking about them.
4. Connect with your neighbors: Start by saying "Hello" or even smiling when you see them. If you're feeling really brazen, invite everyone over for a porch party. Porch parties are super easy, require no house keeping, tell everyone to bring a snack. You'll be surprised at the great people who live around you. Mowing your front lawn? Why not mow your neighbors too? You really want to do something about what's going on right now? Really jack this up? Connect. Create community. These jerks want to destroy our sense of connection. Don't let them.
5. Cut back on your drug and alcohol intake: I know. I know. You feel anxious and stressed out. You want something to take the edge off. Take a break, a walk, meditate for 10 minutes, Skype with a friend, watch a funny movie. Alcohol and drugs decrease you capacity to make good choices. You need to be making great decisions now.
-----
