Minimalism

Greetings fellow earthlings! This COVID-19 pandemic really did a number on us eh? Businesses shut down, stock market brought down to an all-time low, all travel put on hold, unemployment on the rise, schools closed, you know the gist.

Sure, it’s easy to be gripped with fear, anxiety, and despair but don’t lose hope. Just like all things, this too shall pass, and this dark period in human history will be just a distant memory. Which reminds me, I remember our high school vice principal, Ms. Quitain, ask us during recitation in one of our science classes: “What makes us the dominant species in spite of different changes to our environment?” I raised my hand then and answered, “The answer is the ability to adapt, ma’am.”. Yes, humans are skilled at adapting that we survived numerous disasters that almost wiped us all out. History records prove that. So chill, a cure/vaccine will eventually be invented and it will be soon safe to go out again – albeit making some changes to our way of life.

©️Rose Hill Designs by Heather Stillufsen

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Majority of us are in quarantine/lockdown in our homes so that means a lot of time with family and pets. Closed schools means most parents have to homeschool their kids (hoho, bet you parents appreciate your children’s teachers more now huh?). I see a lot of my friends post about moments with their families, like beating the summer heat by dipping in their inflatable pools since swimming pools and beaches are closed (ah, I miss going to the beach), binge on Kdramas and Netflix, gardening, cooking, and just like me, singing live on Facebook or sharing my TikTok videos. I also went on a manga reading spree.

©️Rose Hill Designs by Heather Stillufsen

Admit it, staying at home means less choices for activities and that leads to boredom. To break the monotony of daily routine most of us unleashed our rusty talents while some learned new skills by watching tutorials online. Since we have no restaurant operations because of the pandemic I decided to re-train myself in singing – my #1 talent hahaha! Doing so got me in a rude awakening that I have A LOT to fix in my technique to whip me back in optimum singing shape again. Making TikTok videos tapped my dormant acting skills I shelved since quitting the theatre ages ago. It feels good to sing and act again. To mix up my fitness routine I dance to Kpop like Blackpink’s and Twice’s songs. I know I’m not that much of a dancer but I really enjoy it. And it was great cardio. 💪🏻

Here’s compilation #1 of my TikTok videos. Enjoy. Libre kantyaw. 😆

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Minimalism has taken a lot more meaning during this pandemic. “Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things” is a documentary I keep watching and downloading on Netflix because I find the concept appealing and practical. Looking around our humble abode has hit me with serious buyer’s remorse upon realizing that I don’t need most of the items I have and is just contributing to clutter. Most of them don’t spark joy – yes, I’ve read “The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. Looks like I’ll hold a “Minimalism Garage Sale” soon. I have to sell most of the items because it’s impractical to throw your extra Ray-Bans, preloved Kate Spade bags, Oniitsuka sneakers, Sperry Top siders, and original perfumes, right? Some of my old law books needs new homes too.

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Owning branded bags, footwear, trinkets, makeup and expensive gadgets suddenly didn’t matter as the general public fought to obtain stocks of alcohol, hand sanitisers, disinfectants, canned goods and – wait for it – toilet paper (in some countries).

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This pandemic has hit us with an epiphany that essentials only matter, and doctors and nurses who take care of the sick, and farmers that grow our food are worth more than a celebrity/basketball/football star during these times.

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©️Rose Hill Designs by Heather Stillufsen

It’s not all bad news though. Scientists report that Mother Earth is healing due to decreased human activity. This is also probably a good time to make some changes in our lifestyle that will not contribute to destroying our planet eventually. I wish someone could invent an environment friendly alternative to plastic. That would be a great game changer!

©️Beliefnet

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Politicians all over the world either proved worthy of their constituents’ votes or revealed themselves to be incompetent or corrupt. May this be a learning experience for us to vote wisely in the next elections. We are thankful that our local government here in Bukidnon heeded the doctor’s clamor to close our borders early during the outbreak so we only have a handful of positive cases. Our provincial government and the City of Malaybalay timely gave out the citizens’ cash assistance and distributed relief packs – even though some barangays struggled due to logistics.

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Seeing private citizens, business owners, organizations, and corporations take the initiative to help those in need and supplement our government’s actions is heartening. Kudos to the selfless individuals who stood up to the challenge of rallying others into helping sectors directly affected and to those who answered the call and devoted their time and resources to provide assistance in their own ways:

photo credits to: Alan Ryan Legaspi, Katrina Cudal Hernandez, and Fiona Helena Maquiling, R.N.

My husband and I – in collaboration with my in-law’s tailoring shop EJ’s Tailoring and Printing Shop , decided to donate personal protective equipment (PPE) and masks to our City Health Office because we knew they were lacking in both. My mom provided balut to our barangay’s frontliners and my husband’s close group of friends (LC) gave food packs at Barangay Sumpong, Barangay San Jose, and Barangay 1.

photo credits to: Jyner Timay

Let us not waste our front liners’ efforts to keep us safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Go out only for essential matters, otherwise stay at home. Wash your hands often, keep fit and healthy, practice physical distancing, disinfect often, and if you’re a traveler, please don’t lie about your travel history. Be honest with the authorities – lives are at stake here. Remember: it only takes one careless individual to infect a whole community. Together, we can survive this.

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To those who are infected with COVID-19, we pray for your full recovery. May God be with you always.

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Waking up everyday next to your loved ones healthy and COVID-19 free is a blessing by itself. It’s moments like this that makes us filled with gratitude towards our frontliners, people who are careful and stayed at home, farmers and manufacturers who still produce our needs, and most of all – to our Lord Almighty who blessed us with health and the means to go on.