With our new reality sinking in, and for lockdowns being in effect all over the world for the last few months, here at Girl Museum, we wanted to recognize this time in our lives, and in history. This is the second in a series of blogs where the senior staff of Girl Museum reflect on their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will be posting weekly reflections here, continuing with Head Girl, Ashley Remer, in New Zealand.
What strange times we are in. While lockdown has become normal, it all still feels surreal. Being in New Zealand, we have had quite a strict lockdown for 5 weeks. When we came out if it to slightly loosened restrictions, it felt quite scary, I still don’t want to go out. As much as I do want to.
While I look at the international news 1 or 2 times a day, I look at the local news only once, in the morning to know what the latest number of cases is and where they are located. I cannot look more than that. Our lives have always been global, my family travels quite often as we are spread around several continents. So the prospect of not travelling, not seeing the people and places I planned on over the next year is something I am trying to deal with in small steps. It would be too overwhelming to accept it all now.
Since Girl Museum is virtual, my work life really has only increased. I am busy to the point of exhaustion most days. I worry about being a good role model for my son who is now home all day and sees how much I work. He thinks busy is normal and good, and that isn’t really the total message I want to be giving him. But we can only do our best. We are extremely grateful for having some outside green space and the ability to go for walks and bike rides.
It is probably too much to ask for people to changes their ways, humans are not good lesson learners and our memories are shorter than ever. As much as I would love a radical shift in how communities’ functions and how we do business, I don’t hold out much hope for it. I do hope though, as I hear the birds more than ever, that we can moderate our re-entry into what we make of the post-COVID-19 existence. Have more patience for ourselves and others, slow down, and embrace our interdependence.
Kia kaha (stay strong)!
-Ashley Remer
Head Girl
Girl Museum Inc.