Land of FEARDOM, not FREEDOM

Yesterday was Memorial Day 2022 and many of us paused to say thank you to those veterans that have given everything for us. For their families, the ultimate sacrifice. But also thanks to the First Responders that have helped us through COVID. Also, thanks for the First Responders the clergy and the community support that’s helped us through shootings. Most recently in Buffalo and in Uvalde, TX.

I am concerned about something though.

We said thank you for providing our “FREEDOM.” I don’t feel free. I feel that I’m in a state of “FEARDOM” not freedom. I worry as I look around and talk to my family friends, community and the community of Force for Health around the world. Everyone is looking over their shoulder…at a graduation ceremony, or while shopping at the store. They’re talking to each other about what should they do about sending their kids for the last two days of school. Should they go to that new movie that is called “Top Gun”?Wouldn’t that be a logical place for someone to get shot up?

There’s a fear of their own safety. There’s a fear of talking to someone about important issues. Do we ban rifles or assault weapons? Do we buy them back? Do we seize them or do we ignore the whole issue. As you discuss that with various people you get some very strong feelings about that… just like you will about the border, just like you will about Black Lives Matter, or All Lives Matter. With all sorts of issues we’re afraid to talk. We’re afraid to communicate. We are living in a state of fear. With our fellow neighbors and family members, we’re living in a state of grief and fear that covid’s going to come back and get us. A million of us have some very lonely Fourth of July picnics coming up this summer. We are still wondering what to do about COVID with travel, as a fifth wave is happening now.For my colleagues in Africa, they’re still waiting for vaccinations. They’re still waiting for any sort of medications.They’ve given up on ventilators. They don’t have the capacity to handle them with their oxygen systems. We have a world where people are living in fear.

So what is Force for Health doing about it? As much as we can.

We’re basically saying let’s approach our health issues…our mental, physical and spiritual issues as health issues. Fear and grief are stress and unhealthy.

Let’s break out and get out of this distress. Start by being kind to yourself.Doing something nice for yourself today would be my advice. Just take a minute where you know you’re safe and do something fun.

For me, it’s pulling out the trumpet that I used to play in fourth grade or playing with the grandchild. It’s also fun for me to do these animations in the Force for Health. I love doing the education stuff. That’s fun. I‘m safe but what else can I do for myself? I need to walk more. I need to eat properly. I need to drink less caffeine or alcohol. And you know what else? I’m lonely and many of us are. We’ve isolated. We’ve been told to isolate. We are isolated.

Reach out to someone be kind to them but be kind yourself first. Start with a little act of kindness or concern for someone.  Start conversations that are not threatening but work up to the important issues and agree that you can discuss things without it getting down to “You are evil” and “I am good” statements. These are issues that are not right and wrong necessarily. Some levels of compromise or understanding are needed. We need to quit having fear of thoughts that aren’t our own. We need to understand and get along with our neighbors.

You know I’m just thinking of Lincoln’s words of that we’re a country, and I think the world, as “of the people by the people and for the people” and right now the people aren’t talking and the people are afraid of each other. The people are looking over their shoulders. The people don’t know what to do in the next election. They don’t know what to do talking to their fifth grader about going back to school.

So I’d like you to focus on this state of “FEARDOM” because we owe it to our fellow veterans. Our veteran ancestors I should say. I’m not a veteran although I’ve served this country in other ways in disasters. But we owe it to those that have fought for our freedom and are protecting us with their freedom, and providing us the opportunity to live. All those essential workers, those teachers, food workers, truck drivers, law enforcement, health care workers, that are on the front lines during a pandemic, and during a pandemic of shootings, and during a pandemic of grief, and during a pandemic of fear. We owe it to all them to work together and try and make the reality of our health be one where we’re working together.

Population health is a team sport. That’s this Reality Health Games thing that we are doing as something that could be fun to be part of and to help motivate certain people like me or my kids or their kids to get involved with self-improvements and community Improvement. But we need to work together. Start with small steps. Start with yourself! Reach Out! Can you track a kindness you’ve done for yourself every day and a kindness you’ve done for someone else even if it’s just a hello or smile? Can you do that every night before you go to bed? If so, we’ve got the beginnings of the communications and restarting and the lackof isolation ending.

Thank you for listening to me.

Good luck. Overcoming our current state of FEARDOM.

Let’s get it back to FREEDOM.