Helping Others - However, You Can't Fix Everything

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27). 

Anything Can Happen...

Shel Silverstein (1930 – 1999) - an American writer, poet, cartoonist, songwriter and playwright. 

 

Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop

 

It was 12 noon. I was sitting at my desk at home, having finished up all of the half-completed jobs and rescheduling all of the ones I hadn't yet started. From 5pm, I was on holiday for a whole week. If I could get through the next few hours without anything too troublesome, I'd have nothing complicated to hand over...

And yet ... from previous experience there has always been two unexpected things that have cropped up to spoil my clean slate. Suddenly, someone phoned up with a problem which I couldn't deal with - and she was adamant that she was making it my problem! Through hard work, ingenuity and a lot of prayer the problem soon unravelled, and the customer was happy. I hung up the phone, satisfied that I had dealt with that issue.

And then I waited for the other shoe to drop. 

If you know the phrase, it's an idiom meaning you are waiting for the seemingly unavoidable (and typically negative) thing to happen. I understand it alludes to a person awakened in the night by a neighbour who loudly dropped one shoe on the floor. The person then waits inevitably for the second shoe to be dropped.

Except - why did I expect there to be another shoe? Why was I at risk of ruining a perfectly good afternoon, just waiting for my worst fears to come true? It took me a while to shake myself out of this way of thinking. 

Soon, it was 5pm. The other shoe never dropped. 

Z is for Zebra Crossing

Zebra crossing at Darenth Valley Hospital, Dartford. The rainbow symbol has been adopted by many as a symbol of hope during the pandemic and used as a way to say thank you to the NHS and its staff who have been at risk whilst caring for those with the virus.

Y is for Yagiment (New Words Born Out Of The Pandemic)

According to a British language consultant, the pandemic has fostered more than 1,000 new words. Here's just a few of them:

Blursday - when one day seems to blur into the next.

Covidiot - someone who puts everyone at risk by ignoring public health advice, like social distancing. It can include someone who insists on holding a large indoor gathering.

Doomscrolling - the act of spending an excessive amount of time on the internet absorbing lots of negative news. Not good, as it can be an addictive pattern of behaviour.

Quarantini - a cocktail mixed to celebrate yet another day working from home.

WFH - this is an acronym for “working from home”.  This is believed to be the new normal of the present world as many companies have offered this flexibility to their employees even post-Covid.

Zoom-bombing - what happens when internet trolls or hackers invade a Zoom video meeting to disrupt or distribute inappropriate material. 

(oh ... and Yagiment is an old Scottish word meaning a state of excitement. OK, then, you try and find a new word beginning with Y!)

X is for Xenophobia

The fear of getting infected with the virus triggered discrimination against people perceived to be carriers. Sadly, racism is still rife, and you can't inoculate against that. 

W is for Wellbeing

The last few months have been worrying and challenging, with so much uncertainty about what will happen and with daily changes to our everyday lives due to the pandemic. It’s therefore important we take care of our mental and emotional wellbeing during this time,as well as our physical health.

V is for Vaccine

 Here's the venue for my second COVID-19 jab. So pleased that I'm fully inoculated!

U is for Underlying Condition

This means any health condition for which the patient has already received medical advice or treatment. For example, diabetes, cancer, lung disease and heart disease. It can also be called a pre-existing condition. People with underlying conditions are more at risk of serious illness if they catch COVID-19. 

T is for Trying