"On Edge"
April Newsletter - “On Edge”
In 1985, after college, I moved to New York City because I was in love. Not with a person, but the city. In love the way a second grader has a crush on the girl who sits on the opposite side of his classroom. I am lucky enough to still be deeply in love with New York.
What is happening in our city is incredibly sad. It is an understatement to say that for you, all of us, and especially the people fighting this battle, this is not an easy time. Please get better if you are sick, stay strong if you are on the front lines, and my heart goes out to you if you lost someone. NYC will bounce back.
I remember when it was not safe to play in countless parks or playgrounds, I remember the lingering odor from 9/11, I remember my colleagues’ expressions waiting for their phones to ring in 2009, and I remember how Brooklynites came together to help after Sandy. Real estate in New York and Brooklyn will also recover.
Everyday I am speaking with other agents, clients, tradespeople, professionals, and local business owners. Their industriousness, determination, and intensity, like yours, is what will carry us through.
APRIL 2020
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
- Winston Churchill
DID YOU KNOW?
Brooklyn Mutual Aid is gathering low risk volunteers to run errands, mail letters, or pick up groceries and prescriptions for people who can’t leave their homes. Call or text 929-314-0899, or email brooklynmutualaid@gmail.com.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle has a great article on how people like us making homemade masks can help protect our healthcare workers on the frontlines.
Joan Fabrics is fronting an effort to donate one million masks. They have mask kits for pickup and delivery as well as how-to guides on their website.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reports that Meal Hubs, put in place by the city’s Department of Education as a response to COVID-19, are offering free meals to anyone who is in need. If you know someone in need, you can find a meal here.
Click here for a helpful page from the City of New York on how you can safely volunteer to assist COVID-19 response efforts. There is also a volunteer sign up form on my website.
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
The new normal: bring your dog to school everyday :-) #distancelearning
PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Our health care workers are risking their lives to save all of us. Try to remember to say THANK YOU every night at 7pm by giving them a hand. Let’s also remember to appreciate the people delivering our food and packages, collecting our garbage, driving our buses and trains, and keeping us safe. #thankyouforworking
MUSING - “On Edge”
Three weeks ago, my son Nate, said he was "sick of hearing about the coronavirus."
"It's alright Nate, everyone's a little on edge about it," I tried.
"I'm not on edge!! I'm just sick of it! That's all you ever hear about. Everyone's talking about it. Why can't we talk about something else? Coronavirus! Coronavirus! Coronavirus! I'm sick of hearing about it!" And he continued for a while longer.
He was right of course. It is all everyone is talking about. And the subtext was that he was "on edge."
I was surprised at first because my wife and I believed we were doing our best. To remain calm around the household, engage in other topics and activities, games, reading, extra Fortnite (I know, I know).
Unfortunately, we also had NPR on 24/7 and were speaking "coronavirus" to each other a lot.
In my own little cocoon, the one I kept hidden from my family and myself, I was also "on edge," and feeding the monster. Refreshing the Dow, the NY Times, and Google news 20 to 30 times a day while waiting for the hourly “All Things Considered” update. Going to sleep with my iPad streaming cable news (while I checked Dow futures, the NY Times, and Facebook one last time).
I was quietly staggering between anxiety and despondency. Getting very little work done. And most likely adding to Nate’s feelings about the crazy world being thrust upon the poor kid.
Nate's outburst was a wake up call.
As I write this, I feel much better. If you'll indulge me, I'd love to share the behavioral changes that have been a tremendous help to my sanity.
Get away! Away from social media, news, and your phone. I began feeling better immediately. I now limit myself to 20 minutes a day, 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the afternoon at predetermined times. Of course, I allow myself to play music on my phone more now than I did at 16! Here’s a great article written by someone much smarter than me.
Get out. My wife and I take a walk twice a day (usually with our dog). We say hello to neighbors, strangers, thank mail carriers, and garbage collectors (from six feet away of course). I feel better and I suspect (hope) I’m making them feel better. (Coronavirus myth: You cannot contract COVID-19 by making eye contact).
Get funny. I don’t have the writing chops to relate how fortunate I am to lodge with the funny lady I married. We perpetually quip and tease. We float straight lines to each other so we can laugh at the resultant home run swings and misses. Laughter is the best medicine. Research suggests that it helps reduce pain, blood pressure, and stress. (Please use only as prescribed. May cause loss of breathing, herniated disks, choking, litigation, testicular inversion, or divorce)
Get recharged. Some of us need alone time. Even 15 minutes a day. A new hobby, a book, a meditation, or a nap (empirically tested), all fall into this category. If you have a quiet space in your home-school-office-playground-gym (even a closet:-), it’s time to use it.
Get really nice manners. People are on edge. Just assume any tension, conflicts, or Mets/Yankees arguments have nothing to do with you and be extra polite. This will help others (i.e. your loved ones) relax. (Even Yankee fans deserve dignity).
Please share your own sanity tips. I could always use more :-)
I would love to hear how you are. Call anytime, send me an email, tag me in a post on Facebook or Instagram, or better yet, let's hop on a Zoom call and have lunch together!
A lot of changes will be around for the foreseeable future, but we will bump elbows again one day soon.