Some days are just like that. Sounds vague? Sure. But, the feeling persists. Tough times and bad fortunes can happen to anyone. Accidents happen. We can’t control everything. Good efforts may plant seeds that take decades to sprout. In the meantime, it is necessary to cope. 

A mix of good, bad, odd, and just stuff filled me to overflowing. Overwhelm can happen even while sitting still in this weird world. I’ve lived along that edge long enough to respect what my body whispered to me, then told me, then bopped me on the head with. I’m taking a couple of days to recuperate. I won’t call them a vacation, because, as many of my friends in the new economy know, vacations are becoming rarer. But by necessity, I’ve taken today off and will (almost) take tomorrow off. (I know me. I’ll at least check emails and such.) 

As I sat and sipped multiple cups of tea today, eventually a few old phrases refreshed themselves in my memory. Thank one of the coronavirus memes for the inspiration. It is the one about people stocking their pantry and practicing self-reliance. To some, it seems radical and innovative. As the meme said, being prepared is something that  was considered normal a century ago. I’m not old enough to remember the Depression (even my parents were kids then), but I do strive for preparedness. Here are a few other old phrases that are valid regardless of modern politics and pending disasters (keeping in mind that modern politics may be more than a pending disaster.)

Pardon any lack of attribution, but I’m partly doing this to cheer myself on in difficult times.

• Wash your hands.
• Don’t cough or sneeze on others.
• Spend less than you make and invest the rest – if you can. (As Long As You Can Pay Your Bills – #ALAYCPYB)
• Know your self, your values, and ignore the ads.
• Caveat emptor. (Let the buyer beware.)
• There are no guarantees.
• Treat people the way you want to be treated.
• Treat people as if they are people, not labels.
• Vote – or shut up.
• Run for office, if you think you can do better.
• Share. Shared pain is diminished. Shared joy is amplified.
• Remember that no one should be above the law, and if they think they are, remember that their illusion may be temporary.
• It is better to light one candle than curse the darkness.
• One person can’t save the world, but we can each help at least one other.
• Commit random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.
• Say thank you and please.
• Praise in public. Criticize in private.
• Everyone can change.
• Nothing is everything.
• The only constant is change.

It isn’t a comprehensive list. It hasn’t been researched. That would be too academic. For me, coping benefits from comfortably familiar concepts proven regardless of technology. Some of these concepts were valid in the Dark Ages, and some of them are based on lessons learned then. One simple measure of their effectiveness: I feel better now. And, that can be enough.