Hello! I am not sure how long it has been since I have appeared on the blog. But I am back :). We need breaks. The world needs a breakā¦ cough cough corona. Not to make light of the situation- although heavy situations both require humor and breed it- but the world did need a break.
First off a little update from me! Since I last wrote I developed some very exciting news to share! I booked a show! It is called āDames at Seaā. A 6 person musical. It is a dream show and a dream role. Comedy. Singing. Tapping. Really everything I want! We would rehearse in Manhattan (dream) and perform in New Jersey. It was going to be a short run, but a perfect length of time before the summer season kicks off. And then corona and then it was canceled. #everythingiscancelled. Amy Schumer says so.Ā See here.
It was definitely quite upsetting to get the news that this show was to be canceled, but considering all of the loss experienced by humanity during this time, mine is a small one. And yet still feels like such a huge win. I booked exactly the kind of thing I wanted to! This is not actually a loss- although I will not get to perform this role at this time- this is a step forward. I am on the right track. And I bet you are too.
I was definitely one who thought everyone was overreacting to the coronavirus. I no longer hold this point of view at all. As more and more things got canceled and more and more businesses shut down we slowly all began to understand the gravity of the situation and the reality of the next several months of our lives. My roommate and boyfriend and I went back and forth on whether or not we should leave New York. On one hand- New York is our home now. This is a crisis. We should be here with our community and get through it together. Then more and more people from our community began to leave. And New York felt more and more like being trapped. We ultimately decided to leave and made our way to Colorado.Ā
The next part was all over the place. Plans changed many times. Long story short, Joe and I ended up quarantining in an Airbnb (and still are) about a half-hour from where my parents live. We developed several symptoms of corona- but all very light. The one that really tipped us off was when we both lost our sense of smell and taste. This was super weird. We werenāt able to be tested but after a friend, we spent time a few days before leaving NYC had similar symptoms and tested positive- it is safe to say we would have tested positive too. And we are totally fine. This is the crazy thing about this virus- why are some people totally okay when they get it, and some are not? I know there are theories about why. But even some with pre-existing symptoms are totally fine- and others are not. The AMAZING thing about recovering from corona is that you have anti-bodies built up in your blood to fight the virus. Hospitals in New York are taking plasma from people who have recovered and giving it to victims in critical condition and it is HELPING. This is starting to become more widespread throughout the country. If you have recovered you can fill out this form with the Red Cross to volunteer to donate plasma. Click HERE.
We are all more connected than we realize. I have been thinking about this for a while. I hear certain people talk about the healthy choices they make for their lives and how this puts them in a safe zone. You can eat organic and make choices for your life- but ultimately we are still connected at a deep level. Another personsā unhealth contributes to the sum of the whole, and we are all part of the whole. Our neighborsā problem really is our problem more than we realize. I believe this to be true on a deep spiritual level, and corona has proved it to be true on a physical one. We are also more connected to the Earth than we realize. And the Earth needs us to take care of it. Rivers in Italy are clean-er now. The air in China is clean-er now. The Earth is crying out. The Earth needs a break. And the Earth has a break.
I have noticed many companies go into fight mode. āWe will come back from this better and strongerā.Ā āWe will be ready to hit the ground running.ā So interesting. Definitely important to keep people in jobs, to keep companies afloat. This is crucial to our well-being on some levels. But what we need right now is not to push harder. We need a pause. We need a break. I hear some people talk about how we wonāt go through this unchanged. The way we treat the planet and each other needs to change. I hope we donāt go through this unchanged. But so many American companies are actually working harder now that we are on pause. And of course, major crisis management and re-organization of companies is absolutely necessary for their survival and for the good of their employees. I just hope that America can take a pause. That we can all get quiet and hear the whispers of our soul, asking us to tune in deeper. There is a change that is happening here. And if we push and work and fight through this, we will lose out on this message from the universe. How can we all- in each of our businesses, act with more ease and less push? How can we use this time to actually REST more in order to get stronger, as opposed to working harder and spinning our wheels in an attempt to get stronger? This is hard for me. I guess change starts with …. me…. so how do I do this?Ā
My friend sent this poem that says it simpler and in a more beautiful way than I. And how about those Jews huh? They know a thing or two ;).
Pandemic
By Lynn Ungar
What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbathā
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.
And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one anotherās hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.
Promise this world your loveā
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.
If you like theatre, like Peter Pan, have kids, know kids, know someone who knows kids- this link is for you. This is a link to the Barter Player’s production of Peter Pan. I have not yet watched it myself but I can bet on my life that it will be one of the most magical pieces of theatre you will see on film! Because that’s what the Barter Players do. For $15 you can watch this film as many times as you’d like for two weeks! -Give some kids some stimulating and empathy-enriching screen time. And help this theatre company stay afloat. Click HERE. Follow the link to find Peter Pan “on-demand”. Funny story I am in one of the photos but I promise I’m not actually in this production :).
If youād like to take my barre class- I am still teaching for Fithouse via zoom. You can use the promo code FHONLINEFREE at fithouse.com to take my class for free (wherever you are!). Iāll be teaching Thursdays at 5:30pm, Fridays at 9:30am and Sundays at 10:30am ALL TIMES ARE IN EST.
I’ve had the honor of doing some work for The First Responderās Childrens Foundation this past year and week. If you missed the iheart Radio Living Room Concert- It will air again on Monday, April 6th at 9pm EST on Fox. It was really cool to see such a wide range of stars singing their music- from their living rooms. Just like the rest of us. The concert benefits FRCF as well as feed America. Go to 1strcf.org to make a donation that will benefit the families of first responders and health workers in this crisis.
Be safe and be well!