Chapter 1 / Sharing Stories
The Homebody Club: Purpose
A letter from Courtney: March, 17, 2020
To our dear OCIN Family,
Many of us are at home right now, the world turning towards social distancing and self quarantining to keep ourselves and our communities safe. The world as we have been living it is changing quickly and will become very different at the end of all this. And, we will need each other to rebuild it.
Every day is unknown, and the more we isolate the more in our heads we will get. But, instead of getting stuck in the fear and the questions, it’s a chance to look inwards and think of the future that we want to live in once all of this is over, and start working towards it now.
Things are going to feel slower. Going to be simpler. This experience will change us and test us, make us worried, uncomfortable, nervous, and anxious. But, it will also awaken us and reconnect us with what we actually need in our lives. If we lean on one another, still stay connected to each other and our earth, and focus on what is important, we will wake up one day to a fresh start, stronger and wiser, knowing that we overcame it all, and we did it together.
Keep your head high, stay kind and compassionate, be calm and patient, act on facts and science, listen to each other, and support your community where you can. We need each other more than ever right now, especially our fellow small business owners, our freelancers and non-salaried friends in creative, retail and hospitality, our non-profits, our Chinatowns, and our Asian communities, who have quickly and seriously been feeling the impact.
As a small business owner, this time is very difficult and impacting in many ways. The future is unknown and with the unknown often comes fear. But, there is one thing I do know. That for me, what helps to overcome the fear of the future, is focusing on being calm in the present and staying connected with what makes me feel the most positive. Like you. And, maybe that helps you a little bit too.
This is where The Homebody Club comes in. Over the next week and a bit, we will be collaborating with friends in our community to bring us a little moment in our day to come together and connect. The world is isolating, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still lean on each other, share in some good vibes, and have fun. The goal of the Homebody Club is to remind us that we are all together, even if we are so far apart. It’s to create a moment of ‘normalcy’ and distraction; to make staying at home feel like a staycation of sorts while with our friends around the globe.
There is so much more I wish I could do to support everyone that is scared right now, emotionally, financially, but I hope if anything, this will bring you a little smile and a bit of comfort. You are our community; we are here for you and we need you just the same.
Stay safe and healthy out there, and i’ll see you at Home.
xx Courtney
Friend, Human, OCIN founder, Ocean lover
#HomeTogether #TheHomebodyClub
P.S.
We are so grateful to all our collaborators and friends who are donating their time to make these moments happen, And so, we'd appreciate sharing the love and having as many people join us as possible.
If there is someone you think needs the energy from The Homebody Club, please share our posts and tag us and our collaborators; let's rally our Collective because we are better together.