Column: Facing new challenges
It was looking like there was light at the end of the tunnel.
Coronavirus cases on Shelter Island remained flat. Long Island was re-opening. People were becoming more comfortable wearing masks and were finding ways to make new fashion statements. While the threat is constantly with us, the state of alert we were all living with was starting to relax. Many of us came out of our houses and visited friends — socially distant, of course, but how happy we were to see them!
Then suddenly the events of May 25 ignited the country. George Floyd’s tragic death and the aftermath have shaken a world that was just beginning to recover from the global pandemic.
In a democracy, peaceful protest is essential to ensuring our voices are heard. Black Americans have suffered from unequal treatment for far too long and it is everyone’s responsibility to affirm that black lives matter.
Every day last week, TV showed innocent protesters being beaten and tear-gassed, and sometimes people stealing from stores. It is disturbing and frightening. Since we are mostly home, we are probably watching more TV than usual. These repetitive images can increase our stress level. It’s good to be informed, but 24/7 saturation is less good. It’s also true that the majority of the protests are peaceful, but TV often shows us the most sensational images.
Nonetheless the images of unrest continue to be upsetting and cause anxiety, even when stemming from a cause we support. As our concerns transition from one crisis to another, it is so important to have strategies to take care of our own mental health.
Living on Shelter Island could potentially seem to insulate us from this latest trauma. But we do not live in a vacuum. We live on an island, but we live in this world. The problems of the world exist here, too. It is often easy for people of means to shield themselves from those who are unemployed, financially insecure, undocumented, and from our elderly who have been homebound since the start of this virus.
Police Chief Jim Read’s heartfelt letter to the community commits to fair treatment of all people on this island. We know that Shelter Island is a majority-white community, but we also want it to be a place where people of every race and ethnicity always feel equally comfortable coming to visit, work, and live.
Some of us may feel that we want to participate in the protests, but are afraid of getting sick. We may also feel guilty sitting home. Or, just as the quarantine has been lifted, we might be afraid that protesters will come to Shelter Island and bring the virus with them. This anxiety could lead to suspicion of visitors or of our neighbors. We need to remind ourselves how responsible people here have been since March, and how professional our town leadership has been.
How do we cope with this one-two punch of the coronavirus and social upheaval? A good way to combat our stress and anxiety is to get involved. Helping others is often the best cure for our own emotional turmoil. Find a cause that resonates and devote some time for action either on or off the Island.
Consider joining a protest march, properly masked and distant. Or, if you are still at home, much can be done from the safety of a computer or telephone, not to mention checkbooks and Venmo. Elections are coming with races at the state and federal levels. Is there a particular candidate that supports your values?
And finally, a great stress reliever is conversation. Talk about race, talk about the issues in this country. Talk about the country you want to see. Listen to people whose lives are different to understand their experiences. Think ahead to a time when the virus will be under control and a better America may be ahead. Hope and positive thinking can be difficult for many people during times of crisis, but it helps emotionally and energizes people to action. And perhaps real lasting change can come.
Note: Nancy Green is a retired social worker who spent 25 years specializing in conflict resolution at the United States Postal Service.
