To Shock is to Make Change

By Catalina Sampayo

@__cataaa__

Change is a powerful thing. It can lead to the flaming inspiration of many or the crippling demise of all. The effect change has on you is up to you. From the beginning of time to the present day, the human race has experienced nothing but change, and time after time, we have been proved to be nothing if not resilient. It is reading about this resiliency through history that gives me hope about our future and "new normal" after our country is opened to the public again.

You've probably heard it before, "history repeats itself," and for those of you who aren't as interested in reading about the past as I am, I'll let you in on a little secret, history is repeating itself right now! To give you the briefest synopsis, the year was 1918, and the United States had just got out of the destruction and carnage of World War I only to confront an influenza pandemic. The 1918 flu spread itself worldwide and killed about one-third of the world's population. Sounds terrible, right? Fear not! By the summer of 1919, the flu pandemic came to an end, and at the turn of the decade came the roaring 20s! Life was prosperous, our economy booming, there was a rapid growth in new inventions, and all was sweet again. Reading how such a low time in history eventually led itself to one of the most iconic decades made me realize that whether we're willing to acknowledge it or not, the world needs to be shocked and jolted to facilitate some positive change. Or any change for that matter. Nathaniel Hawthorne puts it best, "Human nature will not nourish, any more than a potato if it is planted and replanted for too long a series of generations, in the same worn-out soil." Perhaps this is the universe's way of giving us new soil, rich, nourishing, and much-needed soil.

Now more than ever, we must take in and embrace any funk we may be in (being wary not to allow it to consume us). The universe is giving you a break, so take it. While you're at it, instead of vibe checking your friends, try practicing pulse checks. Take care of your loved ones, and see how they are processing this time. Remember that soon, this too will end and will be just another page in our history books. In the meantime, stay home and be safe.

Love,

Catalina Sampayo