Getting through periods of waiting
Anyone who has ever seen “Snow White” is familiar with the song, “Whistle While You Work.” The song refers to getting through difficult or unpleasant projects with a bit of fun and playful distraction. I can attest to the power of “The Clean Up Song” (Clean up! Clean up! Everybody, Everywhere!..”) in inspiring a whole room of preschoolers to put away their toys, and I frequently stop halfway through household chores for a dance party break. These days my job is literally “the business of fun” as the Zumba company often says its instructors, so there is no lack of experiencing good times during my on-the-clock hours.
Lately, however, it seems like waiting has been a common theme for myself and others. Waiting for news, waiting for things to return to normal since the coronavirus, waiting to be able to travel and see loved ones, just waiting to see.. what will happen. With how quickly I move each day and how instantly so many of my desires to know, to see, and to have, are met each day, it’s more difficult to wait as happily as I am to work happily..
Whereas when times get tough we often surprise ourselves by what we are capable of, when time just feels like it is suspended for an unknown period, it’s hard to know what to do with ourselves (cue anxiety and panic).
“Whistling while I wait” is one way I can try to approach this period of uncertainty. For me, “whistling” might look like cooking meals for friends, making more effort to connect via video calls with my loved ones, doing activities I was too busy to do before, and just generally creating opportunities for fun and joy.
I’m super fortunate to be able to have an amazing support system, dance, and all of you to remind me that life needs to be celebrated now. So, I can and will wait (sometimes happily, sometimes not so much!) to see you all again in class or otherwise soon!
Keep moving!
xx,
Katie
度過等候的時光
如果你有看過白雪公主，你對這首歌「Whistle While You Work」（工作時吹口哨）應該不陌生。這首歌特別指在渡過艱難或不愉快的挑戰時，找些有趣的事情來分散你的注意力。「The Clean Up Song」（收拾歌）就是一個絕佳的證明。『打掃！打掃！每個人和每個地方......』，這樣能激勵幼稚園生把他們的玩具歸位。我自己也常常在打掃到一半，就來個舞蹈派對休息一下。尤其是最近，我的工作名副其實就是「玩樂的事業」，這是也 Zumba 公司常常和我們指導員提到的，所以在我的上班時間，是不乏樂趣的。
然而最近不論是對我還是其他人而言，等待似乎成的一個日復一日的主題。等待新聞、等待一切回歸正常，自從新冠病毒疫情開始等待能夠出國去見你愛的人、持續地等待接下來的進展。每天快步調的生活，以及每天即時滿足所知、所見與所擁有的種種渴望，要我開心地等待似乎比開心地工作困難許多。
然而當經歷困難的時刻，反而能激發出自己意想不到的能力。當感覺到時間停擺但又不知何時才能回歸日常，有時候真的會不知道該做什麼好（這時焦慮與慌張就會找上門）。
面對目前種種的不確定，「在等待時吹口哨」是一個我現在能嘗試的方法。對我而言，「吹口哨」可以是為朋友做菜、在視訊通話時用點心思加深彼此的連結、做些我之前太忙沒機會做的事，就是單純地創造一些好玩、讓自己開心的機會。
我很幸運有「舞蹈」這個超棒的支援系統以及你們每一位，提醒我「人生是必須要在當下被慶祝的」。所以我可以，也將會（『有時候』開心地）等待，直到下次再與你們相見！
繼續前進！
愛你的 Katie
( Anna Liang 譯 )