Even tho the “events” of the last 2yrs are beginning to slow down, & “normalcy” appears to be returning…it doesn’t FEEL like that.
W that background, I got the awful news last nt that a friend/classmate from HS had tragically passed. Will come back to that.
We’ve lived in fear the last 2yrs. Whatever ur politics…there’s been fear – of getting sick…of loved ones getting sick…of what others would think of ur take on the issues & whether they’d accept you – accept you even to the point of inviting you in their home/not.
Even as “normalcy” begins to return, many of the same questions remain. Strained relationships…whether ya can go back to them “as was” before there was so much animosity…whether ur invited back to houses…whether kids will adjust “back” quickly…whether we’re truly in the clear.
Now add on top of it – a war that embroils many counties. Watching innocent lives lost amidst the battles (again regardless of ur politics).
As a result we feel overwhelmed…burnt out. We feel numb to certain things. And that’s BEFORE we add in any of the stuff we may be dealing w in our personal lives.
Yesterday my community got the tragic news of the passing of a friend, Joe Morrison. To explain “JoeMo” was quite easy (look at the next two slides for examples): He was a warrior. Built like a Greek god…a man amongst boys in HS. The most dominant on the football & lax fields…in the wrestling ring. He had that rare combo of warrior build, w warrior heart & mindset.
We didn’t play many of the same sports…but were all in the lockers together, as team captains. As is often the case w the combat sport guys vs us Soccer, Basketball, etc. athletes – Joe had a way of giving you a hard time – but it was never w malice. He loved. He joked bc he loved…& he always wanted everyone to WIN. He made you a better competitor just by watching him.
Came from a tight fam…his father Chip was “larger than life” & always on the sidelines rooting us on.
When I got the news last night, I was numb. I’m still numb. It’s hard to believe. Sometimes we gotta accept the numbness as the way our brain/body protects us from the gravity of things overwhelming us :/.
