One of the things I enjoy most in life is designing scientific research, including experiments and surveys. Now that I, like most people I know, have more free time than usual, due to worldwide circumstances beyond my control, I decided to devise a personality inventory to allow people to conduct a self assessment. The short survey is not intended to be scientific, but to allow the reader to contemplate how he/she perceives, then reacts to, changes in the world in which we live. Depending on how things go, I may decide to modify it for larger audiences, so to speak, but for now, you are on your own; I don’t want to know your answers.
Instructions: Please answer the following questions in an honest manner. Your answer will be either “True,” if the statement describes how you feel, think, or would react, or “False,” if the statement does not describe how you feel, think, or would react. If you cannot choose either “True” or “False” for a particular question, select the answer that most closely fits how you feel, think, or would react.
- In recent months, I have spent a lot of time worrying about how people who are lonely, in poor physical health, financially unstable, or otherwise under duress are coping with the world crisis.
- In recent months, I have contacted one or more people for a wellness check, to find out if they need my help in any way.
- In recent months, I have donated my time or money to help someone who is less fortunate and not as equipped as I am to handle the world crisis.
- In recent months, most of my focus has been on all of the fun things I have missed, or will be missing, due to the world crisis.
- One of the first things I plan to do, as soon as things return to normal, is spend money on things that make me happy.
- I was one of the first people to visit theme parks when they reopened.
- When I wear a medical type mask, I do it more to protect people around me than I do it to protect myself.
- I am more concerned about my right to conduct myself however I please than other people’s welfare.
- In recent months, I have often thought about the challenges law enforcement officers face when enforcing new rules about public places, wearing masks, and social distancing.
- Regardless of what the authorities said, I have had as much fun as possible during the recent worldwide crisis, even if I had to bend the rules a little in the process.
It has been fascinating to me to observe the reactions of people I know (some very well) and other people, about whom I have heard, regarding their means of coping with the changes in the world as we know it. Many people are inwardly focused on all of the things they wish they could do, while others are focused on what other people, particularly those who are less fortunate, are experiencing. Who are you?
Strange times have caused many strange reactions and behaviors. Melissa’s survey asks some pertinent questions. We have friends and family members who are coping with the pandemic, and with politics, in very different ways. These are, without a doubt, tough times and our country, our world, is incredibly divided. How we manage our stresses and affairs during this time is telling. This reminds me of a song (are you surprised?). The lyrics by Neil Peart and Pye Dubois in Force Ten, on Rush’s 1987 “Hold Your Fire,”
album seem appropriate here.
Tough times demand tough talk
Demand tough hearts
Demand tough songs
Demand tough talk
Demand tough hearts
Demand tough songs
Demand.
We can rise and fall like empires
Flow in and out like the tide
Be vain and smart, humble and dumb
We can hit and miss like pride
Just like pride.
We can circle around like hurricanes
Dance and dream like lovers
Attack the day like birds of prey
Or scavengers undercover.
Look in
To the eye of the storm
Look out
For the force without form
Look around
At the sight and sound
Look in, Look out, Look around.
Tough times demand tough talk
Demand tough hearts demand tough songs
Demand.
We can move with savage grace
To the rhythms of the night
Cool and remote like dancing girls
In the heat of the beat and the lights.
We can wear the rose of romance
An air of joie de vivre
Too tender hearts upon our sleeves
Or skin as thick as thieves.
Look in
To the eye of the storm
Look out
For the force without form
Look around (Rising)
At the sight and sound (Falling at force ten)
Look in, Look out, Look around. (We twist the world and ride the wind.)
Tough times demand tough talk
Demand tough hearts
Demand tough songs
Demand.
Look in
To the eye of the storm
Look out
For the force without form
Look around
At the sight and sound
Look in, Look out, Look around.
Look in
Look the storm in the eye
Look out
To the sea and the sky
Look around
At the sight and sound
Look in, look out, look around.
Tough times demand tough hearts
Tough times demand tough talk
At times, I think we’ve had enough of tough talk – the talk that divides us and causes fear. At the same time, I think there has often been a lack of tough talk in the sense of facing the new reality. Somehow, the realities of our conditions are being shouted down by fear mongers. The heavy lifting goes with the realities; fear creation is the easy part. And, that is one reason why Melissa and I are doing our best to persevere, and to look out for others along the way, while calling out some of the fears as an attempt to reduce their powers.
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