Introducing: ‘The C Word’

We’re done with reading about the Coronavirus. We’re inundated with it. 24 frickin’ 7. But hear me out – I’m hoping this will be a little different.

So, here’s introducing ‘The C Word’. Whenever I’m overwhelmed, or see something in society I feel strongly about, my default to process is to write my thoughts down. Writing helps me make sense of this hugely complex, often utterly crap, sometimes brilliant, world – and it’s the main thing that comes naturally to me to help myself and others. Writing has been since the dawn of time a coping mechanism for humans to learn to accept the uncontrollable and learn to fathom the unfathomable, to navigate unprecedented experiences. I’m the biggest believer that to get through traumatic periods, we’ve just go to: 1) MOAN or, heck, RANT about them, to therefore; 2) UNDERSTAND them and to in turn; 3) ACCEPT the uncontrollable – and then, and only then can you move onto step 4) working out what YOU can do to become a part of the solution and not the problem. So, that’s where my idea for ‘The C Word’ came in.

‘The C Word’ is going to be a blog series over on this website, and I’m hoping as I gather my thoughts, I can perhaps extend the series into other projects. I’ll be discussing the myriad ways the C word has affected us internationally, rant about how much of a frickin’ C word the C word really is, then report on some inspirational things we can all do to positively re-frame our challenging experiences and in turn make a difference in these C word times.

I want to be frank, honest, open, real and human with the posts I write. I want the people I speak to for this series to give frank, honest, open, real and human accounts of life as it now is for all of us. I want to hear stories of people on the front line; people on the other front lines we so often neglect to thank; people who are staying at home and struggling; people who are staying at home and perhaps are enjoying the chance to slow life down; I want to hear it all. I want to hear from ordinary people with ordinary lives in these crazily extraordinary times.

I think this attention to the C word and its detriment on the human psyche is needed. Precisely because of this observation I’ve encountered time and AGAIN over the last few weeks: every single conversation I’ve had with family and friends surrounding this epidemic have been fraught with apologies.

“I’m sorry I’m moaning about [x] nice plan being cancelled – it’s nothing in the grand scheme of things.”

“I’m sorry if I sound down on the phone, I’m just having a stupid down day – I don’t know what’s up with me, I’m just being stupid.”

“I’m sorry to say reading the news is overwhelming me – all I have to do is stay at home at the moment and I’m struggling to even cope with that!”

Apologising for ourselves. Apologising for feeling numb, scared, low, upset, angry, downright pissed off. Apologising for just being human. And it’s about time this damaging narrative stopped.

That’s where I hope ‘The C Word’ will come in. You can SHARE your story. And not even feel an OUNCE of bad for feeling the way you do. And I’m hoping reading others’ stories will offer comfort, advice and support – and heck, even a dose of that elusive POSITIVITY!

Yes, we need to stay the heck inside. We need to do our bit to support the heroic and unthinkably strong key workers fighting for the safety of everyone at this time. We need to thank the people that are putting themselves in danger every day to keep everyone safe. And we need to extend kind thoughts and words to ourselves and pull together as an entire nation to get through this challenging time. Not one of us is left unaffected.

So, hereby I declare the beginning of ‘The C Word’ series. It’ll be coming to you every Wednesday, and I’ll keep posting blogs that avoid mention of the C word on Sundays, as we all need a little slice of normality in these challenging times, too.

Here’s hoping we can all share our individual, differing and unique stories of this period, whilst understanding this is a shared, human experience we can all help each other survive through. If you’d like to get involved in sharing your story with me to be featured in this series, please get in touch on Instagram ( @maddiemae_xo ) where I’ll be conducting some of my research for these pieces, or email me at [email protected] if you wish to be featured. Thank you.