Quarantine, lockdown and pandemic things I never thought I would see in my lifetime but yet here we are, here I am writing this post from my yard which has become a prison cell of sort; routine meals, one outdoor exercise allowed per day and any visits need to be at a distance. Of course, I cannot really compare these strange times to prison but these times sure are strange and I am still adapting to this new way of living. I am used to being around hundreds of people every week working with youth in the community and schools with my charity Poetic Unity, it’s my purpose to elevate and educate the next generation so when this first happened I was a bit lost. Then I sat down with my team and we worked out some effective ways we can still support the community in these tough times.

Our online services The Poets Corner, The CommUnion and Quarantine Poems have all had a positive effect on the community and I have even been able to carry on the spoken word workshop I’m doing with Theatre Peckham which has gone well so far, but it’s still not the same as delivering these services in person. The internet will never be able to replace that face to face connection and I hope although the internet has helped us adapt in these strange times that we do not forget how important human connection is. Right now, more than ever mindset is everything, people are losing their loved ones, jobs, freedom and have a fear of the unknown because truth is, no-one really knows what the future holds, not even these so-called Twitter experts. What we do know is, thoughts become things and you’re what you think so what are you at this time? You don’t know? That’s fine, it’s fine to be scared, its fine to be worried, it’s fine to feel overwhelmed you’re human in the middle of a global pandemic but just remember you’re blessed if you can read this post with your eyes, breathe with your lungs and think of alternative realities with your mind.

I always see the cup as half full instead of half empty which is why I see this whole situation as a dream, which we will wake up from stronger and with a new sense of humility that will serve to better the world for generations to come. (I hope)

@RagzCV

www.RagzCV.com

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