Transition are hard.
This is what they always said when I taught young children. And they were right, for there was nothing more chaotic than the scene after the gentle ring of the clean-up bell. What was most fascinating was there was always one child who became completely hyped up and paralyzed all at the same time. My job was to tend to that child and break down the process: “Can you please pick up one toy and place it on the shelf?” Such a child needed this guidance so they could to get to a calmer place, which the routine of our day always provided.
In our adult world, the endless electronic notifications we now get are like the clean- up bell — anxiety producing and chaos invoking at the same time. The problem is there is no adult in the room to guide us. We have no leadership to calm us down and allay our fears. We are completely on our own.
Which is why the news on Friday of Corona reaching the West Wing sent me into a tailspin, making me feel exactly like that child who needed my guidance in the classroom. I wandered around my house, turning, reversing course, completely unsure of what I was doing.
Finally, I sat down and took a deep breath, knowing that this left-field moment was like all the other ones that have come before, leaving me completely without control except for the ability to breathe.