A.L.I.E.N. LIVING: “Cornered by Corona: Finding My Place Of Joy”
Welcome All A.L.I.E.N.S to another addition of the #ALIENLiving Blog!! I guess one of my questions is how are you all doing during this time of “social distancing” and “quarantining”? Surprisingly I will say I am enjoying it. I have just recently discovered I am an extrovert with introvert tendencies and although I am the youngest of fourteen kids (yeah… I know) I was still in the home alone, so sharing and shit I didn’t have to do on a daily basis!! My mom has been calling me every other day to check in on me to make sure I’m breathing and asking me to come pick her to ride her around so she can get out the house; each time I tell her no!!! LOL!! Old friends have tried to reach out, I guess this Corona lockdown has people reminiscing, but I’m uninterested, so I’ve been blocking a lot of people. Ha!! Don’t bring yo “what was and what happened” my way!!!
Right before our leadership decided to take this outbreak serious, I had already been meditating and studying something…. JOY!! What is it? How do I obtain it? How do I keep it? I had been led to (because I don’t believe in coincidence), Romans 14:17 “17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”. The word Joy stood out to me. I thought is it the same as happiness, I don’t feel that I always have it and if this is what God’s kingdom is made of I want it. So after a few weeks of meditation and prayer I realized that Joy isn’t a feeling, but a place. According to Theopedia.com, Joy is a state of mind and an orientation of the heart. It is a settled state of contentment, confidence and hope. As I began to pray and meditate on this I realized that Joy has always been in me, I just never tapped into it or knew that it was a choice and not just a feeling I would feel. So, for two weeks before we all went on quarantine I had started practicing walking in Joy. I decided I wasn’t going to allow the things around me to affect my attitude. I had decided that I would choose Joy above all else. Then Corona Hit!!! And let me tell you, my only concern was how soon can we start working from home. That office vibe was becoming a serious snooze fest for me. I think the artist in me needed a change of scenery to help me elevate.
Now, I know some may say, “Well you have no kids or husband to go home to” and that is true, but I do have myself to come home to everyday and boy have I been learning a lot about me. So, far I have learned I have little patience for most things even myself. I have developed tennis elbow. I like to share, but only on my time and my terms. I enjoy a good cuss word. I have learned that I need to clean my junk room and my car. LOL!!! I am learning that God is my source in all things. I was talking to a musician friend whose sole income is music. These cancellations and closings of venues have cut his income significantly. He was freaking out on the phone stating how he is now drinking daily to cope because he doesn’t know what to do. I tried to share with him my great word on Joy, but he just said “easy for you to say, ma’am with a job”. I said to him, “hey, I understand your frustration, but you do have a choice on how to look at this”. Well, that conversation didn’t go over very well. So, I chose to just remain quiet. Not sharing my new found joy with anyone. I figured if people wanna know what’s going on they will feel the energy of my Joy in the air. I ain’t gonna force no one to be where I’m at, I’m just gonna go there.
Traveling to the grocery store is like going to Disney World and I try to make it as lasting and fun as I can for myself. I make up stories in my head about the people I encounter and I make looking for bleach and rubbing alcohol a hunt for gold. I am finishing songs that I have written over time; I’m ready to record and that’s exciting. I need a pedicure and manicure badly and I have started wearing head wraps on a daily basis. I went to Walmart and bought different colored fabrics so that I can be fancy and shit.
But the BEST thing I am doing right now during this time is connecting more and more with ME!!! Being more confident in myself. Loving my body. Walking and dancing naked around the house. I am discovering myself all over again and I dig it.
Although I know this time is a challenge for those of you who have kids and significant others. Maybe you are a musician/artist that depends solely on the income from your gigs. I challenge us all to find that place of Joy. Decide to see the good versus the bad. See the light versus the dark of this situation that we all find ourselves in. We could complain, but why?? What is God trying to say to you? What is the Universe urging you to do? What is your spirit telling you to do? For those of us that are used to being in control, this is a clear message that we have never been in control.
I pray you all the best in the season!!! We are all being tested uniformly!! What will the results be for us when this is all over???
