Happy pre-emptive February of 2021 folks!
I unplugged myself for several months. Not because I didn't want to blog or because I wanted to quit my job, pack up my belongings and live on a deserted island (though that thought has crossed my mind several times last year). I did so because things just got super-epic-fragelistic busy.
And I am so grateful. Truthfully, I didn't even know if I would have clinics to go back to mid last year. When the covid crisis hit, many of us didn't know what the second half of the year was going to serve us and like me, most of the health community was just bracing for the worst of it.
When we were allowed to return to work, most of us were still holding our breaths just waiting to see if the next chapter was going to unfold or not. Then it just got busy at work. THANKS TO YOU!! You my patients and you my fellow colleagues! You came out in droves to support me and my work (and for that matter, to support my peers in their lines of work). I am forever grateful because of YOU.
Which brings me to this new post which for the record, is being written now, as I near the end of my three week January hiatus and break. What's DoGo you might ask.
Well it certainly isn't one of these:
Its a catchy phrase that's been cut short to sound cute and uh, catchy!
DO GOOD - or "DoGo".
(Yes I should keep my day job as your friendly neighbourhood acupuncturist. Roger that.)
Why DoGo? I wanted to do something good. So much has happened in the world. Unless you have been kidnapped by aliens and taken to an alternative universe through a very unstable portal, you probably were witness to some of the less than finer moments of human history. The global pandemic has literally stopped us in our 21st century tracks, locking us down at home so that we literally could not turn away from some of the worst conditions of humankind: systematized an legitimized racist social systems, socio-racial-economic inequalities, food insecurity, conspiracy based "maintsream" misinformation, outdated healthcare and educational systems and models that are not accessible to all, gaping holes at the very heart of the governing majority and legislative councils; you name it, we saw it. And that was just the tip of the 2020 ice berg.
Its enough to make anyone want to hole up, bug out and throw the world's biggest pity party.
But I didn't want to start my first week back at work next Wednesday on that note. Giving up and falling into my routine with the blinders on wasn't where I wanted to be. If there is anything that these last few weeks off has taught me, it's taught me that you can feel tired and beat up; and that you can rest from that beat up feeling. But you can't give up because there's so much work still left to be done out there in the world and no matter how small you feel, you can do so much good.
So I wanted to let you all know, that for the whole month of February, I am going to launch a self initiated DoGo Month whereby I will commit 25% of my personal earrings from each acupuncture treatment to do some good. I am aiming to use this portion of my earnings to make a donation to help those in underprivileged communities of colour access fresh and healthy food in the form of Food Boxes that are provided by Food Share (https://foodshare.net/program/goodfoodbox/) here in my hometown of Toronto.
Its important to note that most of our essential healthcare, frontline medical staff, personal support workers in special needs and seniors homes, postal delivery services staff, farming support work, food distribution network workers, sanitary maintenance staff, logistics and shipping workers are mostly made up of our fellow humans from racialized communities who make it possible for those of us who have the privilege of shelter, to work safely from home, while they went into work each and everyday from Day One of when our first Covid lockdowns started in March of last year.
A lot of these goodfolk live in areas where access to adequate healthcare, social services and healthy, natural foods (that most of us in affluent societies can easily find and purchase) is challenging and at times, depending on postal code and city district, non-existent. Which is why local and grassroots organizations like Food Share are so important in filling this gap so that this very basic human need for fresh, healthy food can be met.
Covid has only highlighted and worsened the haves and the have-nots in these hardest hit areas of society.
Which is why I wanted to shift the focus of my efforts here. Because I have so much to be grateful for despite the difficulties of last year navigating a covid dictated roadmap and dealing with some of the mental health issues of the year that I never thought I would ever fall victim to. It wasn't easy for me but in truth, so many people have had it so much worse than me. My daily life has been like winning the lottery everyday and if there is a way for me to help, to be part of a greater good and to try and make this place better, then I'd like to try.
And its mainly because of good folks like YOU that I have my confidence, and a brighter outlook on life. So this is my way of paying your warmth and support forward. Think of it as a huge tsunami of loveydovey feels that just gathers more momentum as it speeds ahead in February.
Sure, its a blah month (Feb winters suck and sunshine deficit is a real problem) but hey, I'd rather be a hopeless optimist and tackle this now than to live with knowing that I never ventured further than an idea in my head and trash it before it even had the time to find its wings.
I'll let you know how I am doing at the end of next month so watch this blog space (or check in with me on Instagram where I tend to hang out for more timely progress reports on DoGo Month: https://www.instagram.com/daryl.fang/)!
Until I blog here next, protect our most vulnerable by staying home when you can if you can, help lift someone up when you are called to, be kind in tone and voice, mask up and help in whatever way you can. No amount is too small and no gesture is too tiny.
Kindness is a superpower so use it with pride. Happy Wednesday and I'll see you back at work next week on February 3rd, 2021.