A Holiday for the Covid-Conscious
Mark your calendar….
February 2nd is Covid-Conscious Community Appreciation Day (CCCAD)! This is a new observance so here is a handy guide to answer some frequently asked questions.
What is the origin of CCCAD?
It’s a byproduct of an ADHD spin. I was scrolling through posts and saw a meme about Bill Murray in the ‘Groundhog Day’ movie and a post someone wrote about how bad it sucks that we’re headed into year 5 of a global pandemic and we’ve learned nothing. And my brain smashed those two things together into a holiday just for the Covid-Conscious community since we’re all trying to hold it together while the rest of the world keeps fucking around with a deadly, disabling virus and pretending like it’s okay. I posted the idea on Twitter and a bunch of people were like “fuck yeah, let’s do it!” So if you were one of those people, I hold you responsible.
What authority do you have to proclaim February 2nd Covid-Conscious Community Appreciation Day?
None.
Is CCCAD a religious observance?
It can be. Religions throughout the world teach that the body is a temple or an instrument for the divine. By protecting ourselves and others from Covid we’re honoring the higher power that dwells within us all. Which is pretty fucking awesome so yes you should absolutely request February 2nd off from work as a religious observance. Your unmasked HR representative might deny your request. They might even laugh at you. If they do laugh, you should take the opportunity to fart while you’re walking past their desk to leave their office. That might get them thinking about how the air is full of nasty shit they can’t see but they know is there and that maybe the one person at work who masks and doesn’t get sick all the time might be onto something.
What is the official mascot of CCCAD?
It’s a groundhog in an N95 mask. So it's a maskcot. Some cool people on Twitter have made some art already. Feel free to make your own maskcot art too.
If the groundhog comes out of the ground on February 2nd and doesn’t see any masks, that means there will be 6 more weeks of Covid (thanks to @Froglet80 on Twitter for delving into the science).
How should one celebrate CCCAD?
That’s entirely up to you, but here’s a quick list of 5 ideas to make your February 2nd special:
1) Tell the Covid-Conscious people in your life how much you appreciate them and care about them. Tell them how they’ve made a difference for you. Serenade them with a song like ‘Wind Beneath My Wings.’ Make it as weird as you want. Just let them know you’re there and you care. Many in our community are isolated and struggling right now, so lift them up and support them like one of those bras that keeps showing up in your Twitter feed.
2) Email one of your legislators. Explain why you care about Covid and why you’re still taking precautions. Tell them they can stop being an asshole at any time and start supporting legislation and policies that will help to protect people instead of ensuring continued harm.
3) Write a business in your community that still has masking or other measures in place. Thank them and let them know how it makes customers feel valued and important when businesses aren’t trying to kill them.
4) Write a love letter to yourself. Seriously. If you’re still masking and maintaining precautions for yourself and others in the face of all the barriers, challenges, and pressures to give up, you are one of the most awesome fucking human beings on the planet and you should remind yourself of that every day. You can even just send yourself a loving text. Not like a “hey, u up” kind of text, because that’s not real love and you know it. I’m talking about a kind, sincere message from you, to you, for your eyes only. An affirmation in your own words to remind yourself that you’re worth the battles you’re fighting. You truly are. Save it in a place where you can easily find it. Read it on the days when you’re weary and you need some encouragement. If it feels good to do this, try making a habit of it. Get yourself a journal and keep the love letters to yourself flowing. It’s a surprisingly therapeutic way to cope with the ongoing trials and traumas we’re living through.
5) Watch the ‘Groundhog Day’ movie. It will be on TV around the clock on February 2nd and is available on multiple streaming services. It’s funny. It’s frustrating. It holds some profound lessons about how to get yourself unstuck when the rest of the world is on repeat and it feels like you don’t have control over anything. It has a happy ending. We can enjoy one vicariously on film while we're waiting for things to look more hopeful in real life.
Happy Covid-Conscious Community Appreciation Day to you and yours!
And from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being who you are and for doing all that you do. I appreciate you and I'm honored to be a part of this community.
In good humor and solidarity,
Guiness Pig
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