Like some during these fretful times, I’ve turned to meditation. Not because I’m so spiritual but because it keeps me from becoming paralyzed by fear. I don’t use any particular method. Although there are myriads of Buddhist, Hindu, Tibetan and Vipassana practices among others out there, none of them are a necessity. Closing one’s eyes, taking deep breaths and quieting the mind is the ticket. Meditation is the mental equivalent of putting the car in neutral or landing on the Free Parking spot of the cosmic Monopoly board. If anything, it gives us a chance to calm down the blood pressure, force the real and imagined terrors out of our noggins and take a much needed break. Don’t worry, you won’t miss anything. The world will be just as exciting upon your return.
During this pandemic, Facebook has become the Tribal Drum linking us together. It’s good to see all the community, national and global group meditations that are being offered on the site. My wife and I do one every Sunday morning for about half an hour. These group meditations, a form of prayer, have a theme, most of which revolve around bringing humanity closer to a higher consciousness and sending healing energy out into the world both individually and collectively. This might be another form of “magical thinking” but it feels good to do so, nonetheless. Positive vibes are always welcome.
In my most recent meditation, I was presented with a choice: Did I want things to “Go back to normal” as everyone wishes or did I want the human race to evolve? At first, the decision seemed obvious. Of course, normality seemed the obvious choice, the sooner the better, especially with the predictions of hundreds of thousands of possible deaths from Covid-19. But a deeper voice reflected that going back to normal meant returning to the same inequality, injustice, unconscious and downright self-destructive behavior as before. One could argue that, among other things, Mother Earth is saying, “If you fools won’t do anything about global warming, I WILL” and pushing the RESET button.
We cannot return to normal nor should we. The coronavirus has revealed in shocking clarity that our present political, economic, health and religious institutions are undergoing and mostly failing an unexpected stress test. In the end, COVID-19 will change the way we think, act, vote and worship. The pandemic has also made clear that those being afflicted are the victims of inequality; namely, people of color and white working poor who cannot afford to lose their jobs or able to flee to some secluded summer home.
One cannot fault the extraordinary bravery of our health care professionals, public servants, mask makers and millions of unsung volunteers who, at great risk to themselves, go out each day to help others in need. This is America at its best. They should not, however, be forced to undergo an uphill task because our systems aren’t working for them as they should. Donald Trump’s destructive egomania is only one part of the problem. It is now time for the United States to drastically shift its national priorities.
Consider that the United States military is currently in possession of 45,000 armored fighting vehicles, 13,000 military aircraft, 20 aircraft carriers and an annual budget of $750,000,000,000. And yet, there aren’t enough hospital beds, ventilators and face masks to meet the pandemic. This means that, if the dire fatality predictions come true, more Americans will perish from coronavirus than have died in all the wars we’ve fought in since 1945. Our food banks and pantries nationwide are unable to meet the needs of struggling Americans, many of whom now wonder where their next meal is coming from. In Taos, the road to the weekly food pantry is so backed up with traffic that the police shut it off. We’ve gotten away with such disparity until now, but no longer. What exactly are we defending except war industry profits?
For too long, American myth has blinded us to a darker reality. The American people are inherently decent but now is the time to realize that any institution based on greed, corruption and inequality can no longer move us forward. America can’t be great if it isn’t fair.
The question remains. After this pandemic passes, as it will, do we want to “Go back to normal” or do we want to evolve in ways that better serve our nation, humanity and our planet? We are all living in a great moment of decision.
Daniel A. Brown lived in Franklin County for forty-four years and was a frequent contributor to the Recorder. He lives in Taos, New Mexico.