What I keep saying to myself to help get through this.
It’s been over 5 months now since Broadway shut down and we got locked down.
And it hasn’t been easy.
In fact, a recent CDC survey indicated 41% of us are struggling with a mental health issue as a result of the pandemic.
That’s a lot.
And I’d be lying to you if I didn’t admit that I’ve experienced more anxiety in the last 5 months than I have in my entire life.
I also know that what I’ve dealt with over the past five months ain’t nothing compared to what others faced . . . or are facing.
And we’re not through it yet.
We will be, of course. We will get through it. We will have a vaccine and Broadway and theater will be back up and running again. Audiences will return. Jobs will return. Joy will return.
But when?
That’s the tough part. Because when you are in a dark place for five plus months, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the you-know-what.
And yet, we still have to work. We still have to figure out how to stay healthy. And in some ways get healthy. We still have to figure out how to survive.
I’m not the only one who has said, “Why does it feel like I’m busier than ever before?”
You feel that too, right?
I’ve described it as feeling like you’re on a stationary bike . . . pedaling like crazy . . . and of course, going nowhere.
I’ve also described it as the feeling I had when I was 16 and swimming in the ocean. I was ten feet from shore and got caught in a rip tide. I kicked and paddled. But I went nowhere. So I kicked and paddled harder. I was still ten feet from shore. No matter how hard I swam, I stayed put.
It wasn’t until I stopped working so hard that the tide pushed me to shore.
We’re in that tide now. And if we acknowledge it, stop fighting it, and let it take us to safety, it will.
And here’s what else I keep telling myself and all my friends and family who have admitted to feeling like I have. And since you are all my friends and family as well, I thought I’d share the same thing with you . . .
But you’ll have to bear another story . . .
When my daughter was six months old, like most babies she didn’t sleep through the night. Boy oh boy did that suck.
And one night, during a 3 AM crying fit, my wife and I looked at each other with that look that only new parents can have. You know what I’m talking about, right? That exhausted, “How are we ever gonna get through this” face.
That’s when it dawned on me . . .
First, there were other people with screaming babies who wouldn’t sleep at that very moment, all over the world. We were not alone.
Second, and this is the big one . . . I realized that this phase wouldn’t last forever. One day it would all be over and she’d sleep like a baby, and we’d even forget this moment at 3 AM.
But when?
Well, I looked at my beautiful wife and said, “Sweetheart, every day we are one step closer to getting through this.”
And that’s true for this challenging time in world history and our lives as well.
With every day that passes, we are one day closer to this being over.
I’ll say that again for you . . . and for me.
Every day that passes, we are one day closer to this being over.
I hope that helps. And if it doesn’t, and you’re feeling moments of anxiety or depression of any kind, remember, there are lots of other people experiencing the same thing too. So reach out to a friend, a family member, or even us. We’ll do what we can, or point you in the right direction of people who can help.
But we will get through it.
And every day that passes, we are one day closer to this being over.
Every day that passes, we are one day closer to this being over.
Every day that . . .
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The mental health issues that TheaterMakers experience during “normal” times are severe. That’s why I put together a panel at our upcoming TheaterMakerSummit on how TheaterMakers can deal with the psychological challenges of our business . . . especially now. Because if your mind isn’t right, even if you achieve success, it won’t feel like you’ve achieved anything. Click here for more info on the summit.
Podcasting
Ken created one of the first Broadway podcasts, recording over 250 episodes over 7 years. It features interviews with A-listers in the theater about how they “made it”, including 2 Pulitzer Prize Winners, 7 Academy Award Winners and 76 Tony Award winners. Notable guests include Pasek & Paul, Kenny Leon, Lynn Ahrens and more.
