I had a whole thing in mind that I was preparing to write about how heavy emotional energy can mess with us if we are sensitive, especially if we are in post-traumatic stress or depression.
Then I did a quick Goog for a picture of Barney Fife and Gomer Pyle to use for the picture in this post. As I looked for a picture, I started thinking about how Jim Nabors had a lovely voice such as to bring tears to your eyes. The next stop on this train of thought was how Ron Howard said in an interview on the Smartless podcast that Andy Griffith genuinely talked like Sheriff Taylor all the time, and then upon further reflection of Andy Griffith's career, I realized how I am now basically Matlock because I complain about the price of everything.
Then I came across a summarized article that talked about a campaign to remove a statue of Don Knotts in his hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia, and I went down a slight rabbit hole of trying to find evidence of Don Knotts and cancel culture, which I could not find. Thank goodness.
It turned out that the piece talking about the removal of the statue was incredibly unfunny satire. Hey, we can't all be funny all the time. Although the article ended stating that it was satire. Sort of wish I'd seen that prior to my rabbit hole leap.
Now, I don't know where to go with my point. I will tell you something though, I enjoyed my five minute escape into old TV nostalgia, and I kind of wish I still felt that with actual TV instead of stress akin to a panic attack that I should be doing something else instead of sitting and watching something.
This is an analogy I have often used to explain Mercury Retrograde, but it is applicable to 2020 and 2021 energy. If you think of 2020 as a flight that is super-bumpy and that serves no alcohol, and is endless. January 2021 is the landing of that flight. But, you guys, we're all still sitting on the plane waiting to get off, go home, and recover from the trauma. The literal trauma of 2020, and not the figurative trauma of an airpla
Sidebar: As a claustrophobic empath with asthma and a tendency towards panic attacks, you can imagine that flying is not something I enjoy. The last time I was on a flight it was to Atlanta for a job I was working back in 2011. I knew there would be Fried Green Tomatoes somewhere when I got there, and that kept me going. The flight was so bumpy I legit thought the pilot was training. I had to have two Long Island Iced Teas at the airport to calm down enough to board the return flight. And then that flight experienced even worse turbulence. I grabbed the hand of the extremely patient woman who had the misfortune of being seated next to me and had been politely not reacting to hearing my consistent yelping at every bump. I wish I could say I remember her name but you know, the Long Island Iced Teas. I do remember she held my hand until they announced we were landing, and said reassuring and comforting things such as, "It's okay, dear! I know this is bumpy! Don't worry. We'll be there shortly." I just about kissed the ground when I got to the Philadelphia Airport. I will never again board a plane unless I absolutely have to and geez I hope I don't have to be sober when I get to wherever I would have to go because I plan on doing a Sinatra and just traveling with a bottle of Jack Daniels next time.
Second Sidebar: I don't actually know that Sinatra travelled with Jack Daniels but I imagine he may have had a fear of flying because of his mother having died in a plane crash. I am sorry I spoke the name of Sinatra in vain. Love you, Mr. Sinatra.
Third Sidebar: I stole, I mean, borrowed, this sidebar idea from Stephen Tobolowsky. I will link to his podcast whenever I finish writing whatever the heck I'm writing. Please listen to it. It's amazing.
Does anybody remember where I was?
Let me see... Barney Fife, Jim Nabors, Matlock, 2020, landing in 2021... okay, got it. The point is, we are mostly all, to varying degrees. in quarantine or certainly more-sheltered life, waiting for the pandemic and this time in history to pass, waiting for vaccines, waiting for money, waiting for jobs, waiting for "normal" to come back.
So, we all still need to be gentle with ourselves and understand that we may be more easily triggered in this in-between time when things may not be as bad as they were, but not where they need to be just yet.. The pain of the past is in the past, but it's also still part of us now. Does it mean that we will always be in pain? No. But it means that while we are all in a collectively overwhelming emotional energy, we may have to be more patient and centered with ourselves.
This, too, shall pass. And things get better. I have always believed that. Even if I forget sometimes. If you forget, too, I'll remind you.
And remember, if you end up down a Don Knotts rabbit hole, don't believe everything you read. You have to nip it. Nip it in the bud.
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Podcast of National Treasure Stephen Tobolowsky: The Tobolowsky Files
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