Janine and I were talking about the good things to have come out of COVID-19 which we decided could be summed up in one umbrella phrase; the awareness of what we can do with what we have around us. (And many Trump Americans realizing just how terrible he is is a bonus)
On that note we mused that in all the COVID-19reporting coming out of the States we haven’t heard much about any good things coming out of it south of the border.
To be fair we Googled it. It was nice to find a positive article listing ten good things about the virus: “Despite the fact that most people are shut away in their homes, many communities have never been closer.” — Check.
“Supermarket cashiers, shelf-stackers and delivery drivers are not generally thought of as heroes. But the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the essential roles played by key workers who we all depend on.” — Check.
“People are applauding their medical staff and other key workers who are continuing to go to work despite the health risks. Suddenly, these often low paid workers are getting the appreciation they deserve.” — Check.
“Community support groups have sprung up around the world with volunteers doing shopping and picking up prescriptions for the elderly and vulnerable. In the U.K., a staggering 750,000 people answered the government’s plea for 250,000 National Health Service volunteers. And in the U.A.E., residents have organized a buddy system using the hashtag #InThisTogetherUAE, with volunteers offering practical support as well as psychological help, legal advice and careers workshops.
Wait a minute. United Kingdom? United Arab Emirates? Closer inspection revealed that the article we were looking at was published in a paper call Al Arabyia. Not American at all.
Enough of that. This is not American bashing. This is Newfoundland and Labrador praising.
We are in the enviable position of being able to focus on the good instead of being overwhelmed by the bad.
History shows that people are more open to habit changes at times of upheaval. We’re baking bread and cooking homemade meals. We’re growing more vegetables and beautifying our spaces, but the absolute best of all, Janine and I agreed, is we’re getting to know and learning to love our little corner of the earth more than ever, which is saying something.
Remember the joke: “How can you tell the Newfoundlanders in heaven? They’re the ones who want to go home.”
The Staycation rules, hands down, and not surprisingly a daughter of Newfoundland came up with a way to open the doors to all the places we didn’t know about.
On May 5 Lori King from Vogue Optical St. John’s created the Facebook page StaycationNL. As of July 15 there are some 29,000 members. Along with colleague Gladys Dalton, Lori and her page are spreading the news about all the marvelous attractions and places to stay in Newfoundland and Labrador.
I use the word marvelous because every time I read what someone has posted I marvel at how much I don’t know about this place I call home (and I humbly suggest that I know more than many of us). From stunning rock formations to glorious sandy beaches to breathtaking mountains and fiords, I’ve only seen a fraction of what Newfoundland and Labrador has to offer.
From horse and pony rides to heated outdoor pools, from ferry rides to swinging bridges to zip lining for kids, from driftwood structures and abandoned mills to touch tanks and fish ladders and whale bones, from gourmet meals to fish and chips to pay by your height pizza, a family could spend a week every year travelling around this province and not take it all in.
Of course Janine made a crack about us running out of time for all the “roads not taken.” Haha.
Still, I’d start now if I were you.
And if you need convincing, check out StaycationNL.
Janice Wells lives in St. John’s. She can be reached at [email protected]. (or [email protected].)
