Tuesday, 16th June 2020 (Anguilla) — With the onset of COVID-19, people in communities across the globe have had to adapt to a new way of life. For some, it has been easy-going. Yet for others, it has caused hardships. The coronavirus, rapidly spreading, triggered a global pandemic that’s impacting all of our lives in multiple ways. Whether it’s unemployment, underemployment, business closures, working virtually or sheltering at home, we are going through a major experience that affects us financially, emotionally, mentally. There’s loss of income, increased debt, anxiety, stress and so on. None of us knows when this contagious infection will cease to exist or even if it will disappear completely.
Our lives have altered drastically. Air and seaports are closed on Anguilla. Travelling back and forth to Saint Martin/Sint Maarten has ceased to be a daily excursion. Hotels and tourism related businesses are shut down. Properties like CuisinArt Resort & Spa have given employees the option of working reduced hours, at least three days weekly. There are no tourists visiting the island as day trippers or for short stays. Our livelihood and economy are overstrained.
On Anguilla, we’ve been fortunate that there have been only three confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, and the persons re-tested negative. That could change with Anguillians who were repatriated last week from other countries in spite of the health regulations quarantining them for 14 days upon arrival. We pray these recently returned citizens are healthy and virus free.
Mercifully, we had a short period of about one month during which the Government regulations ordered all businesses, churches and organisations, except essential services, to close. We maintained social distancing with limited freedom of movement. Events like Festival del Mar, Anguilla Lit Fest, Anguilla Day and Summer Festival were cancelled. It was rather odd at first because the island became much quieter. There were fewer vehicles on the road and less people on beaches. No one was out socialising. Grocery shopping was like being in the Twilight Zone because individuals wore facial masks and latex gloves. But we did our best to adhere to these new health and safety regulations.
I noted some individuals who seemed not to be concerned about the transmittable disease. From one neighbouring street, men could be heard playing dominoes every day. One Friday afternoon when I drove through The Valley to conduct business errands, I saw men hanging out seated close together at one of the local bars. It’s hard for some of us humans to adjust to keeping our distance from one another.
Although a few friends and acquaintances, I talked to, found it challenging to abide by these new rules, I thoroughly enjoyed my “sheltering at home in the grace” period, as I called it. It gave me the opportunity to have uninterrupted hours of solitude, focus on my spiritual practices and studies, write profusely, cook creatively since I had plenty of time to experiment in the kitchen, tend to my gallery garden, and eat and sleep whenever I felt like it. One thing I discovered was that binge-watching Netflix movies and shows, or spending too much time on social media, was not beneficial for my brain’s attentiveness. So, I quickly learned how to limit my utilisation of these mind-numbing activities. In fact, I periodically deactivate my Facebook and Messenger accounts, from my mobile phone, to keep me from getting caught up in other people’s communications.
For the past three and a half weeks, I have gone out more frequently – yet I find that I miss being alone by myself. I am in many ways an introvert as well as an extrovert. Even when I live with family, or have had roommates, I often have a great amount of solitary time. It allows me to go inward, to contemplate and have conversations with the Most-High, meditating on my inner self and life. That is who I am by nature.
Because of the soul’s journey that I have been on for more than three decades, adapting to this new way of life has been comfortable. I am in the best place to be for this paradigm shift and that is right here on Anguilla. May we all find ways to adjust and adapt to fresh styles of living, which best suit who we are or have become during this stage of our lives.
Kay M Ferguson is a conscious writer, who writes under the nom de plume Empress Extraordinaire, composing words to enlighten and uplift humanity. Connect with her on social media—Facebook and LinkedIn or email anguillawriter@gmail.com.
