Community Support Initiative

We’re only a couple of weeks deep into the pandemic but it feels like it has been months. There are going to be a few more weeks ahead of us before we can be sure we are past the apex of the infection and can expect restrictions to relax. When we start venturing out and about again, the likelihood of a second wave of infections is definitely there. We’ve got a way to go before the worst of COVID-19 will be behind us.

Of course all timelines and expectations are dependent upon how we all work together and comply with appropriate behaviors that curb the intensity of the pandemic. Every man for himself and the survival of the fittest attitudes out there are only making the situation worse. We need to work together because you do not want the province to be one ventilator short if you or someone in your family turns out to be one of the unlucky ones that become overwhelmed by the virus.

Isolation is tough but it is even more difficult for our seniors and other vulnerable members of our community. Not everyone has computer skills or even a computer itself to take advantage of online face to face meetings. Their isolation is almost absolute. Maybe we can help.

If you have a spare working computer, iPad, or other device that you are able to donate to help bring some of our less fortunate closer to their families and the support they need, please contact Silent River Kung Fu (http://www.silentriverkungfu.ca/contact) to arrange the pickup and disinfection of your device. We are coordinating with other resources and organizations in Stony Plain to ensure they will get to the people who need them the most and where they will bring the biggest benefit.

COVID-19

Silent River Kung Fu has been proactive in ensuring the safety of our students and our community since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. All our classes have moved online, providing each student with three classes a week, including a private one on one with an instructor. In recognition of the added pressures that come from self-isolation, we are also providing free Tai Chi classes online for everyone, including the general public.

It is important that we all set an example of leadership by filling a void when we see it. There is nothing more effective than the power of example. Let’s use common sense and compassion as we move forward and work together to keep our community safe and strong.

Silent River Kung Fu has always been more than just a place to train. Our core tenet of taking our training out of the kwoon and into the world is more important now than it has ever been. We are here to lead, to support, and to take positive action in the face of this crisis. Some things that we can do:

• Respect the pandemic. Social isolation is the single most important strategy for containing the intensity of the outbreak. Remember, it is not about you - it is about those you might infect. 
• If you find yourself in lockdown and in need of supplies, reach out on Kwoon Talk or call 780-963-8744. We can mobilize quickly to get you the support and supplies you need. Do not leave your home and risk infecting others.
• Remember that we are in this together. Me first is not the right attitude and it is important to recognize that there is a big difference between preparing and hoarding. Share!
• Stay connected and keep training. We have resources in place to help you to continue your training without interruption. Your training will keep your body healthy and it will do wonders for your mental health. It is in times like these that the real value of our kung fu shines through.
• Keep informed. Alberta’s latest COVID-19 information can be found at https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx
• Lastly and most importantly, practice gratitude. We may not have control over things that are happening but we have complete control over how we choose to react to what is happening. The world is changing and it is up to us to reflect the change we want to see. 

 “Our own life has to be our message.” - Thich Nhat Hanh (b. 1926)

THE Week

I have not experienced a week like this, ever. In a very short period of time, everything was turned upside down. School had to close its doors so the future remains uncertain. Awash in all this uncertainty, are real people who are impacted more by COVID-19 in a way so much more intensely than I could imagine.

My dad is now isolated in a care home, unable to have outside visitors until this blows over six months or so from now. It is probable that I will not be able to see him again on this earth. He is going to go through his end days lonely and frightened while the rest of the world competes for a roll of toilet paper.

As it has been said before, this crisis may not define us but it most certainly will reveal us.

“Suppose two astronauts go to the moon.  When they arrive, they have an accident and find out that they have only enough oxygen for two days.  There is no hope of someone coming from Earth in time to rescue them.  They have only two days to live.  If you asked them at that moment, ‘What is your deepest wish?’ they would answer, ‘To be back home walking on the beautiful planet Earth.’  That would be enough for them; they would not want anything else.  They would not want to be the head of a large corporation, a big celebrity or president of the United States.  They would not want anything except to be back on Earth—to be walking on Earth, enjoying every step, listening to the sounds of nature and holding the hand of their beloved while contemplating the moon.” - Thich Nhat Hanh (b.1926)

Decision Disconnect

Making the right decision is not always easy. Sometimes it is not possible to do what is right without creating conflict. Avoiding conflict by taking the easy road may seem like the right decision at the moment but rarely will it pay dividends over the long term.

As parents it is up to us to put our children’s best interests first. Whether or not our guidance is welcomed or popular should not affect our decisions. If your child does not want to take his antibiotics you do not leave that decision up to him. You take control and do what is right.

Medicine is a no-brainer. Cause and effect are obvious as are the risks that would come with making the wrong decision. Other causes and effects are not quite as easy to reason our way through. If your child wants to quit kung fu, or any other activity that has been helping him, it can become an argument you fail tackle if you do not keep clarity in your perspective. The number of people who in one breath talk about how kung fu has literally changed their child’s life and in the next pull their kids out of training because their child wants to try another activity, are too numerous to count.

Some things, kung fu is one of them, are like weight lifting. If you are a weight lifter and one day you decide you do not want to lift weights anymore, you do not get to keep the muscles you gained through weight lifting. The same goes with the benefits of kung fu - they “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” Tony Robbinsstay with you only as long as you are training. If you value the benefits your child has received through kung fu and you do not want them to lose those benefits, then quitting cannot be an option.

 “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” - Tony Robbins (b. 1960)

It's About Us

The ‘me first’ attitude that prevails when our society talks about money is a big reason why we continue to expect to make our living at the expense of the underprivileged and the environment. I know the majority of people I see out there equate socialism as being one step away from communism and see it as nothing but an excuse for a free handout. Yet at the same time they are cool with our government giving billions away to subsidize corporations. These same corporations fund the politicians who are giving them the free handouts so I totally get why the politicians are doing it. What I don’t understand is why those of us who are not getting the free handout are also cool with what our politicians are doing - especially when you consider how loud the public outcry is if the government dare consider sending some funding to the poor to help them get a foothold.

I am now seeing the same ‘me first’ attitude when people talk about the coronavirus - moron politicians included. People are complaining about the inconvenience of the looming pandemic and can’t understand why it is such a big deal when so few people are dying of it.

They are missing the point. A lot of sick and immune-compromised people are dying from it - an awful lot. Trying to control the outbreak is not about you, it is about us. If we all pull together to avoid getting infected, we will save countless lives of people who do not have our immune system and who are already battling other ailments. It is no different when it comes to getting your annual flu shot. It is not all about you and preventing you from getting sick - it is about the others who will also get exposed if you get sick and who cannot afford to take on that battle.

“Our hearts clearly see our own interests but they are completely blind to other people’s interests.” - Bangambiki Habyarimana