Chaos and Spreading Kindness

As most Americans have been asked to shelter-in-place, we are now living in a world very different from the world we knew when we opened our eyes on March 12. It was later on that Thursday afternoon, beginning at 5 p.m., when Broadway theaters were shuttered. What followed, in a domino effect, was the canceling of concerts, literary readings, classes. The situation became clear. First one state and then the next began to implore people to shelter-in-place as a precaution against becoming infected with the COVID-19 virus and then spreading it, particularly to those at high risk.

Chaos. How to fill the larder with food supplies. Where to find toilet paper, paper towels, masks, hand sanitizer and other supplies for a month or longer. Our daily routines were upended. Schools and businesses closed.

Many of us are the fortunate ones living with smart TV’s and technology that allow us to become film buffs, participate in online classes and exercise. This is the time when we can read and explore our books at a leisurely pace.

“One Life, One Legacy,” a book by Justin Spencer, has been on my table. As a physical book I was attracted by the size, 5 inches by 7 inches, and the striking cover design, an embossed red X, on coated bright white paper stock. Justin explains:

“Maybe it’s a crossroads. X is your decision point. Which path will you take? …The X is blood red because it means complete commitment. …It looks urgent because your situation is urgent. …”

The chapters are entitled Meganodes. “A ‘node’ is a place where two or more things connect. A Meganode is a place where all the connections of your life come together. It’s a place of power that allows you to take control, to rearrange your life and rise to the top of your game.” The book was designed by Hobblebush Books, an independent press in Concord, that publishes both literary and non-literary titles.

Last weekend after brewing a cup of tea I began reading “One Life, One Legacy.” I was immediately engaged when, after the page describing the process of not reading the physical book I was holding in my hands but doing something instead, the next page was designed to be “ripped out.” At the moment the page is on my table and I’m planning to cut and fold it into folios for a miniature book. What fun.

At the end of each section in “One Life, One Legacy” there are pages where you are encouraged to plan your own strategy.

While I am not a person who reads self-help books, Justin’s book pulled me in. After all, if ever there was a time to think about the future – who you are, your dreams, your goals – this is it. America has essentially shut down. Each of us has been forced to create our own new routine. Setting up an office at home, preparing dinners with limited ingredients, exercising without the equipment and classes available in our health clubs. What will the future look like? Not just in the United States, but around the globe. We wonder.

As citizens of New Hampshire, we are resilient. I have been baking bread with the recipe and method I learned at Prescott Farm and Environmental Center in a course I took just before Christmas. This morning I’m ordering a pancake mix and maple syrup from Polly’s Pancake Parlor on Sugar Hill. I’ll see the majestic White Mountain range in my mind’s eye as I’m enjoying the pancakes. Justin Spencer has prodded me to rethink what is next. Visualize it. Stand on your head and think about it. Make a chart. Do something.

This certainly isn’t a time to be bored.

The Metropolitan Opera is making available streaming presentations from the company's Live in HD series at no cost. Metopera.org.

The Berlin (Germany) Philharmonic's Digital Concert Hall is currently available for the next month. https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/home

Broadway HD has a collection of Broadway plays and you can sign up for a seven-day trial.

What we are also feeling is kindness toward one another. A neighbor left pink tulips at my door because I now fetch and deliver the morning newspapers on my floor. A package of food is in the mail from New Hampshire with a few supplies difficult to find here. Justin Spencer got it right and I cannot think of more appropriate words: “In a world of chaos it’s important to show kindness.”

You can find “One Life, One Legacy” online. Or when the store is open you can purchase the book at the Chaos and Kindness Shop on Union Avenue. Let’s stop the spread of COVID-19 and begin spreading kindness and peace in the world. One to another. Let’s make it highly contagious. This is the moment.

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Elizabeth Howard is an author and journalist. Her books include: Ned O’Gorman: A Glance Back, a book she edited (Easton Studio Press, 2015), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David R. Godine, 2015), Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011). She lives in New York City. You can send her a note at: Elizabeth@laconiadailysun.com