COVID-19

,

Self-Awareness Overload by Gillian Barnes (@geezfresh)

,
Self-Awareness Overload by Gillian Barnes (@geezfresh)

I can’t believe the close of another round of #GBWritesWithOthers is upon us and now it's my turn to share why I've learned. It's hard to pick just one subject as I feel like this period of time has been one of constant pivoting, but I would say (and yes, it is an umbrella term) I have learned the most about self-awareness.

Being alone with yourself is hard. I mean, in my case I live with a partner, so I haven't been fully alone like some people (side note: you are warriors!), but for many more hours than is typical I have been "alone with my brain."

,

What I Learned While Being Furloughed Due to COVID-19 by Bethany B. (@dreamgirlBA)

,
What I Learned While Being Furloughed Due to COVID-19 by Bethany B. (@dreamgirlBA)

In March, my employer shut down. My husband was also one of several employees to get furloughed. Thanks to that, we both ended up at home for one and two months while our state was on an “essential business only” ban. In that time, we used stimulus funds for a major project we needed done around the house and I bought a Cricut the day I was furloughed (impulse I had been eyeing for a year). At that time, we figured I could take the time to work on my side business while my husband worked.

,

How to Play the Mandolin. Sort Of. by T.M. Montgomery (@TMMontgomery3)

,
How to Play the Mandolin. Sort Of. by T.M. Montgomery (@TMMontgomery3)

What did I learn from my time in quarantine? How to play the mandolin. Sort of. I need a lot more practice.

To be fair, I already knew “Winder Wie Ist” fairly well. But learning “Mach auf, mein” and “Ay, Deus, se sab’ora meu amigo” were highlights of those three weeks. And the process of learning those songs and others, picking up an instrument I hardly knew and strumming until I figured it out, taught me more than a few minutes of music.

,

Suffering As A Teacher by ASH (@ASHnovelist)

,
Suffering As A Teacher by ASH (@ASHnovelist)

I want to look at the question itself: What did I learn from quarantine life?

There’s a famous Bryant McGill quote that, “suffering is one of life’s great teachers.” But I don’t think it’s a kind teacher, nor a compassionate one. I think it’s the kind of teacher that barks orders, punishes fast, expects too much from its students. I think what makes suffering such a great teacher, is that it’s effective at making you retain information. However, I don’t think that we always learn the right lessons from our suffering, simply that we feel an overwhelming need to prevent this suffering in the future. Our minds come up with reasons for our suffering but those reasons might not have any basis in fact. Our brains may create coping mechanisms, but they might not be healthy for our long-term survival.