How are you all coping, dear friends? I’ve had quite a range of emotions, ranging from freaked out to excited about the opportunity for community building and for spending more time with loved ones. To be honest, I was helped by some very calm reporting done by Dave Rubin, of all people (short interview here and long interview here).
But there’s only so much that facts can do, in spite of all the noise we’re hearing about FACTS ONLY, NO OPINIONS PLEASE! The fact is that facts can be manipulated, especially if they’re presented in a limited way. And no amount of knowing any facts will really ever replace having the right kind of worldview to deal with panic and widespread troubles.
I was reminded of that while reading this interesting post about being “too old for Narnia.” It talks about how a fact-based worldview is actually impoverishing in some way, and how having a readiness to experience Narnia, even as an adult, is actually a point of strength.
Anyway, there’s quite an argument to be made that people actually band together during crises in fairly predictable ways. It helps to have an empathetic way of interacting with others, especially if you prioritize compassion over empathy (which, though you might not expect it, has a dark side to it, as I argue in this “cultural rant” where I also talk about Game of Thrones and Scorsese’s Silence)
Part of being able to cope during crises is to be able to hold different realities in your head at the same time. Fiction does this beautifully, of course. But reading certain fantasy books that also have fictional footnotes–that’s a whole different level of commitment. And I think that reading such books actually really helps during times of crises, because you’re able to see that the real world has levels more complex than the media would like us to think.
But ultimately, we all are going to have a tough time during the next few months. That’s just a fact. Those who are forced to work at home might like to check out this “Remote Work Handbook”. But those of us who are struggling to make sense of this reality might consider something else.
To really make sense of the outside world, oftentimes it’s necessary to make sense of your interior world first. And one of the best ways to do that is to tell your own story. That’s definitely hard to do. But I can help.
I’m doing a free workshop on telling your story using Ursula LeGuin’s fantastic Steering the Craft at 8 pm eastern time this Friday, March 27.
I’ll tell you more about it later in the week.
If you’d like to use your free time to sample my own fiction, I’d be happy to send you my first novel, as well as an exclusive novella prequel to my Raven Son series. Just tell me where to send it:
none of the links seem to work. They all are 404 at mailerlite.com
Fixed! Thanks for bringing my attention to that.