Grounded in Community – as published in Rocky Mountain Outlook, April 9, 2020
“You’re grounded!”
When I was a teenager, this was the biggest punishment that a parent could shout. If teenagers in the 70’s stayed out too late, came home drunk or took the car keys without asking permission, the standard admonishment was “You’re grounded.”
This meant you had to stay home, no friends could come over and, depending on the severity of the misdemeanour, additional restrictions related to television and telephone time were imposed. There was usually a time limit on being grounded, but sometimes a strict curfew followed.
So here we are, April 2020 and we have been grounded in our homes, as a province, as a country, as a planet. Stay home. No friends. No social gatherings. No kidding.
Being grounded by a pandemic brings new lessons and new ways of living. In times like these, we are learning new ways of citizenship, new expressions of civic duty and new ideas about being part of the greater collective.
It’s strange to hear that the best advice for responsible citizenship is to take actions that will help to ‘flatten the curve’. It is a stretch of my wild and crazy imagination to realize that I have been grounded, I need to distance myself from my friends and I need to wash my hands more often. Adding to the insult, there is no definitive finish line to this phase of life, and I may need to further adjust my habits tomorrow.
So, what are we supposed to do? Because staying home and watching the news is not healthy for anyone’s head or heart.
Here’s my quick list for appropriate activism during a pandemic.
First: Pay attention. Simply open your eyes and your heart to all who are trying to gently explain and help us learn the new skills for coping and coping well.
Second: Once you have an idea of who is acting with best intentions to do good things, send an email, make a phone call or write a thank you note. At least say “Thank you”. Here is my public shout-out to the young woman at Nesters who has been gently encouraging me to understand that yesterday’s new rules were “First you have to use the hand sanitizer and no, no reusable shopping bags.” Right. Okay. And today it may be different. Another shout out to the Post Office workers who are doing their best to help us understand physical distancing in practical terms.
A third idea: Find some construction paper, scissors, crayons, feathers and glue and make a friendly poster. Hang some art naïve in your window or walk to the senior’s residence and wave your masterpiece at someone inside. Whether a front-line caregiver or resident waves, we all need to be seen and acknowledged and be light-hearted.
Fourth: Your dollars need local circulation. Ask a local business if you can make an order for pickup at their door, or if they deliver. And if you really want to show your community colours?
Consider making an unrestricted donation locally. My years in the local philanthropic sector taught me that one of the sweetest sounds to hear is a donor’s voice saying, “Use this gift in any way that will further your mission.”
An unrestricted gift of dollars to someone doing good work, is perhaps the strongest statement of trust, confidence, and belief in community that anyone can make right now. Your gift just might help an organization keep an employee on the payroll. There are more than 80 registered charities operating in the Bow Valley and many other good-hearted organizations that are not registered.
Being grounded is full of teachable moments. Give where you live is a good one.
About Lorraine: Over the years, she has worked for Parks Canada, The Whyte Museum, The Friends of BNP, The Banff Centre, and until June 2017, was Executive Director of the Banff Canmore Community Foundation. She and her growing family (including two remarkable granddaughters) celebrated 40 years of owning and operating Ticino Restaurant in 2019. The views expressed are her own and she can be reached at lorraine@lwcbanff.ca
