Whenever I am feeling blue, I am reminded of Oprah Winfrey’s Gratitude Journal. You know, jotting down all those simple, joyful moments in our day that we are grateful for.
To quote Oprah, apparently “you radiate and generate more goodness for yourself when you’re aware of all you have and not focusing on your have-nots”.
I tried this sage advice once, but all it did was make me feel worse. Because now, on top of feeling miserable, I also felt guilty. How could I feel sad or upset while knowing I had so much to be grateful for?
It just wasn’t working for me.
That is until the Covid-19 hard lockdown.
For the first time, I really learned how to appreciate the small things in life.
A stroll down the street, a successful batch of pineapple beer and, yes, the smell of freshly baked banana bread in the morning.
Another was having a conversation with someone other than my nearest and dearest who were cooped up in the house with me.
As frontline workers, journalists could still move around outside to do our jobs when needed, but human resources did request that we conduct our interviews telephonically, or via Teams, as far as possible.
Pre-Covid, people whom I needed to interview were usually in a rush. When contacted by phone, they were short and to the point. But with everyone stuck at home, that changed. Suddenly people wanted to talk, and not just about work.
And what conversations I had…
I think most of us discovered our inner philosopher during lockdown. Or perhaps that was just the pineapple beer talking.
Whatever the case, it just again confirmed for me how important it is to talk to others. And then, of course, to listen in return.
As a community journalist, you often find yourself in the middle of a spat between two or more parties.
And, having listened to both sides of the story, I can’t tell you how often I was left with the realisation that the dispute could have been avoided had the clashing parties simply spoken with each other first before coming to their own conclusions.
So why don’t we just do that?
Well, I know why I tend to avoid uncomfortable conversations.
Usually, it is because I don’t want to create conflict.
Instead, I have a long conversation with the object of my ire in my head. Only once I am thoroughly riled up by this pseudo exchange will I finally engage for real.
You can guess how well that usually turns out.
The pandemic definitely left me older. I can only hope it also left me wiser.
With lockdown restrictions now, hopefully, a thing of the past, there is no more legal reason for any of us to avoid or not talk to each other.
And you know what? It is something that I am incredibly grateful for.
– Nettalie Viljoen
