I’ve heard that we are all in the same boat, but it’s not like that. We are in the same storm, not in the same boat. Your ship could be shipwrecked and mine sailing safely. For some, quarantine is optimal––a moment of reflection, of re-connection, easy in flip flops, with a cocktail or coffee. For others, this is a desperate financial & family crisis. For some that live alone, they’re facing endless loneliness. While for others it is peace, rest & time with their mother, father, sons & daughters. With the weekly increase in unemployment, some are bringing in more money than when they were working. Others are working more hours for less money due to pay cuts or loss in sales. Some are not getting on with family––domestic abuse is rife––we never know what goes on behind closed doors.
Some were concerned about getting a certain candy for Easter while others were concerned if there would be enough bread, milk, and eggs for the weekend. Some want to go back to work because they don’t qualify for unemployment and are running out of money. Others want to kill those who break the quarantine. Some are home spending 2-3 hours/day helping their child with online schooling while others are spending 2-3 hours/day to educate their children on top of a 10-12-hour workday. Some have experienced near death with the virus, while some have already lost someone, and some are not sure if their loved ones are going to make it. Others don’t believe this is a big deal. Some have faith in God and expect miracles. Others say the worst is yet to come.
So, friends, we are not in the same boat. We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different. Each of us will emerge, in our own way, from this storm. It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance. Not just looking, but actually seeing. We are all on different ships during this storm experiencing a very different journey.
I FAILED TO INCLUDE A PARAGRAPH EXPLAINING THAT THIS PIECE WAS FORWARDED TO ME BY A FRIEND. I FELT IT WAS SO GOOD THAT I WANTED TO SHARE IT. I DID NOT MEAN TO LEAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT I WROTE IT.
A very good sentiment! Stay safe,
Pit
Thanks, Pit. Good to hear from you.
What a thoughtful, beautifully composed, and timely analogy for these times. Thiis helps me remember that so many others are less fortunate than me and to appreciate that my own ship is still afloat. Thank you!
Thanks, David, for your response. For some reason, my first paragraph explaining that a friend forwarded it to me didn’t make it in my post. It was too good to share.
You are so on point with this commentary! It’s sometimes hard to know how to help. If I help out my neighbors, I can rest assured that I know who has family, who doesn’t, who probably can drive to the store, who can’t. But the truly unnamed desperate ones, I just don’t know who will help them. My situation right now is fairly much like it was pre-pandemic. But I feel for those who are jobless, homeless, and having to make some very tough choices. Thanks for posting this!
Thank you for sharing. That’s why I had to forward this message. I did not write it, but I felt compelled to share it.
Thank you, Myra, for this truth, well stated.
On Sat, May 30, 2020 at 11:45 AM Myra H. Mcilvain wrote:
> myrahmcilvain posted: ” I’ve heard that we are all in the same boat, but > it’s not like that. We are in the same storm, not in the same boat. Your > ship could be shipwrecked and mine sailing safely. For some, quarantine is > optimal––a moment of reflection, of re-connection, easy i” >
I have read this posted by others. Did not know you wrote it. nice piece, nice thoughts
Sent from my iPhone Teddy Kinney 512/476-2805-office/home phone- (no text) [email protected]
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No. I received it from a friend. I am sorry that that portion, which was at the top of the post, did not show up.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
Good one ..no same boat….same storm…as you say.⌛️💕⭕️
Sent from my iPad
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Yes, we are the fortunate ones.
Reminder: I did not write this. A friend forwarded it to me and I wanted to share it.
No matter what storms we face, we’re never all in the same boat. As retirees, my wife and I are hardly affected, either in income or lifestyle. Our daughter and son-in-law can both work from home and have seen no change in income, but our son and daughter-in-law are less fortunate.
His salary continues while he handles his duties from home, but he normally travels and depends on extra money from his expense allowance, which he needs because they have an unfinished house in progress while still making payments on their existing house. I’m sure many people are much worse off, but it has put them in a bind.
Thanks for writing. I want to start by saying I shared this piece that a friend forwarded to me. Somehow, I failed to get the first paragraph included, which explained that I did not write it. Embarrassing!
We are also blessed by having retirement and savings. My granddaughter, who is still in school, lost her job, but scampered around and found another. So our family cannot complain. We are counting our blessing every day since so many are having to accept food for the first time and have no way of paying rent.
Thanks, Myra -You put everything in perspective! Most of our circle are truly blessed…Patti
THANKS TO YOU, PATTI. I HAVE ADDED A PARAGRAPH EXPLAINING THAT THIS IS NOT MY PIECE. A FRIEND FORWARDED IT TO ME. SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION.
This is wonderful, dear Myra, and I am sending if to everyone I know. As always, you are right on target. Hope you are doing well and that you are making progress on that new book.
All is well here but we are ready for this nightmare to be over. So sad for so many. Unthinkable suffering and fear around with neighbors and friends going through terrible stress. Love and prayers for you and Stroud! Suzanne
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Hello dear Suzanne. I have added a paragraph stating that I did not write the piece. A friend forwarded it to me. I agree that it is very good.
We are muddling along and continue to believe it is a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
If you hadn’t shared this piece, I never would have found it, so thank you for that. It does put things into perspective. The effects of this are going to be farther-reaching than many understand; I hope those whose boats still are floating in the future will be willing to find room for those whose boats have sunk.
Thanks for your good thoughts. Yes, we must find room for those who have lost their boat.
Well said – regardless of wrote it. And thanks for sharing it, Myra. Lots of food for thought, there.
Thanks so much, Sandy.
Myra, Â Â Thanks for sharing your well written article about the sad situation of our nation. We are a divided nation in many more ways than one and our heritage of being a splintering people did not just now begin. Â Â Â I ran across the attached poem I wrote some years ago — maybe when we were in Port Lavaca. It was sometime after the explosive Democratic convention in Chicago when the Democrats split and many of them went on to voted for Wallace and Nixon was elected. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jim
Jimmy, your poem did not show up on this blog. Please try again. Many thanks.
Dear Myra . . . this is incredibly well-said. I’ve grown so tired of the cliches . . . all in this together, alone together, the list goes on. You nailed it, of course. I’m forwarding this to my artist-friends on the east and west coasts. We are NOT all in the same boat, and we are NOT all having the same experience. Hopefully we’ll get thru this with our empathy, integrity and humanity fully engaged.
Sending love and light and appreciation for you and your words of wisdom.
xoxoox
Tami
TAMI BONE artist
233 W. Mill Street Round Top, Texas 78954 512.695.8880
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Dear Tami, Thanks so much for the wisdom credit, but I guess you didn’t see my note at the end. I didn’t write the piece, but thought it was so good that I wanted to send it along. I actually received it from a friend.
I am so glad you are sharing it as well.
Stay well, Myra
So well said Myra Beverly
Virus-free. http://www.avg.com
On Sat, May 30, 2020 at 11:45 AM Myra H. Mcilvain wrote:
> myrahmcilvain posted: ” I’ve heard that we are all in the same boat, but > it’s not like that. We are in the same storm, not in the same boat. Your > ship could be shipwrecked and mine sailing safely. For some, quarantine is > optimal––a moment of reflection, of re-connection, easy i” >
Thanks, Beverly. When I received it from a friend, I felt it needed to be shared.
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