Something I learned pretty early on is that life just kind of goes on. You are having the worst day imaginable: betrayal, heartache, a death. And then you start to walk down the street and look around and realize that all the cars are still moving. The people are still grocery shopping and walking their dogs. That although the toilet paper is sold out, the sun is still shining and there are plenty of other antibacterial options to fight off the Coronavirus.
It's hard to sit with the pain, especially when you feel like the wind has been knocked out of your chest and the world feels like it's crashing around you. I know people, who are much smarter than I, tell you to sit and breathe through it. As much as I hate to admit it, that actually works. Just be sure to walk with your head up and your shoulders back.
But what happens in the moments between pure bliss and sheer terror? When you are going through the metamorphosis and realize that your role is actually very small? When your life is both expanding and contracting at the same time? Kafka's depiction of our role in the grand scheme of things, although brilliant, was incredibly abstract.
Jordan Peterson wrote a detailed description of his 12 Rules for Life. Among those are petting cats, not bothering children when they are skateboarding, and the importance of speaking precisely. If you are going through it, and all of your bad karma is catching up with you too, give this one a read. It will also help you survive walking down the street. His thoughtful and carefully-crafted narrative helps to bring order to the chaos. If his Canadian accent isn't enough for you, the fact that he feels strongly enough to weep during his audiobook narration is both moving and disturbing.
Throughout the juxtaposition of the way you thought your life was and the way you want your future to be, if you do not remember anything, remember to be kind. Be humble. Sit with the pain and breathe. And in the culture of one of my dear friends, if someone turns a black eye to you then crack an egg in your sink tonight.
