While I can not bring myself to post any of my jewelry (it feels wrong) I decided to use my small platform to express what I am feeling during this pandemic.

During these very difficult and uncertain times, it is so important not to neglect mental health. I believe that isolation which is now a prevalent word in everyday life should be a cause for much concern. Humans are by nature social animals, it’s well known that some of the happiest people in the world are the ones that have a very active social network. Isolation, confinement is actually a punishment method.

The way we are currently coping with this isolation is by culture consumption - I bet that while most stocks are down, Netflix and others alike are actually up. Do not misunderstand me, I like Netflix, just using it as an example. Digital consumption should remain what it is supposed to be a way of entertainment: a reward after a productive day of work or school, we are consuming more digital content now than ever before. I can testify to that, I am convinced that my daughter’s phone is now fused to her hand. Yes I get her to go outside and walk or run,(by bargaining) but what is one hour a day? We are already facing the reality of a  “digital divide” . Young people are going out less and socializing in person less than previous generations, in many cases they rather stay home and play video games, show their dancing skills on Tik Tok or just watch reruns of their favorite shows. It’s a sad time when so many have come forward and admit they were already living or practicing social distancing, so there is not much difference for them.

Much of the anxiety and depression is directly attributable to technology and social media, so while social tools make connecting easier it also makes people feel more disconnected. While we are binging on video games, posting or watching we are actually blocking out the real world. Plenty of studies and research are available on this subject.

The world is suffering from a terrible pandemic, social distancing has proven to help, however what we are practicing now is total isolation in the attempt to flatten the curve. This solution, while it seems to actually help, is creating a lot more bad than good in the long term.

Scientists are sure that we will have a vaccine for this awful virus in about a year from now, we will be able to treat and deal with covid 19 and just like other viruses, it would be normal. The global economy on the other hand will take much longer if ever to normalize.

Sanity comes from routines, interactions, work… closing just about every aspect of everyday life will prove to be a mistake. Staying home from school and work because we are forced to is insane. The government is printing empty fake money (money that was not earned) and plans to give everyone about $1000.00 What do you do with that? Can that really help?

How about instead, use partial, actually a minimal fraction of that money to make sure every citizen gets a free covid 19 test.  Not easy but actually doable, imagine a drive-thru testing available in every town,neighborhood, city, school, municipality borough hall, hospital... Once the results are out you get a bracelet indicating that you are Corona free, the unlucky one must be placed in quarantine, the healthy ones (most people) go back to a partially normal life, school and work.

Quarantine locations should be provided for the ones that do not have the ability to isolate due to small or overcrowded living conditions. To help with the heavy load the asymptomatic patients should be put to work helping the more sick ones, they should get pay for this. It’s a Win Win.

With this kind of measure in place (all possible in a country like ours) the disruption of the economy would just be a fraction of what we have are experiencing. What we have now is huge number of healthy people unemployed, stupid loans with a huge amount of paper work need it to completed, (not even the bankers are sure how to fill the forms) debt deffered for later times as if that can actually solve anything. How is 3 months from now any better when you have not worked a day?

Real money is made when someone works for it, when someone produces something. Getting some crumbs from the government can never create the stability, growth and wealth in a society. People need to work and produce, that's the way to keep going and stay sane.

What the working family is losing right now by keeping them from work can not be restored with any amount of fake money printed and given to them.

Social media in such times should be used by most to educate, not entertain, honestly I can not look at Instagram and see one more posting of a sourdough bread (very noble to cook on your own) but come on! So unless you are planning to use your new found love and skills to make a living when all this is over, now that you are a pro, please save it. Incidentally notice that most postings are of people with very comfortable living conditions, the ones that are really affected by this are not really posting, instead they are drowning in a sea of uncertainty. 

Obviously not everyone is doing that (just about) some are writing beautiful words of encouragement and teaching how to cope with the madness. But the rest are trying to sell you something that you do not need in such times. What about if instead you start to petition your local government to provide the free testing of covid 19, the sooner we know who is sick the sooner people can go to work and then we can actually go on about our way of making money. 

This crisis will not affect everyone the same way. We should be asking for a solution to the problem, not just coping with it by streaming another episode of “tiger king” (trashy) or playing more video games. 

Not everyone is sick - open up the economy partially, it can be done. This has been a failed opportunity, we could have shown the world how it can be done, this will not be the last time we will have a pandemic.

An Opinion is just that. I really hope you read this as what it is, and do not misunderstand me, I love my trade and I want to sell my jewelry, I need to sell my jewelry that’s how I make a living, it’s just nicer to do it when things are more normal, same as everyone else just craving the good old days. While I believe things will never be the same after this, I am hoping that the divide does not get bigger than already is.

I stand behind my believe in the previous post, jewelry makes you happy, 

So for those who can: feel free to make a purchase online.