Embracing Our New Normal | Aiken Bella Magazine

Embracing Our New Normal | Hope and Resilience versus Safetyism

Hope and Resilience versus Safetyism Recently, I was introduced to a new concept that caught my attention as I’ve been watching society around me react to the “new normal.” The construct is called “safetyism.” Much like many ‘isms’, it embodies a frame of thought that fuels anxiety and fear. Safety is generally thought to bring goodness and health, but in an extreme form, safety becomes safetyism. The concept was initially defined by Lukianoff and Haidt in 2018 in their book entitled The Coddling of the American Mind. They define safetyism as a culture or belief system in which safety has become a sacred value, which means that people become unwilling

Greatest Generation – First Person Account | Into the Water

This is Part Two of a first person account of the sinking of the USS Block Island (CVE-21), a “baby flattop” aircraft carrier, by a German U-boat in the battle of the Atlantic during World War II. Part One described Warren’s duties as Navy Communications Officer, and ended with the first 2 torpedoes to hit the Block Island. Warren was relaxing in his living quarters, at night, when, in his own words … BOOM, and then another BOOM! We hot-footed it out of there and up the ladders to our battle stations. Halfway to the Communications Office, the clanging sound of “general quarters” reverberated throughout the ship. I had been

Lessons From Nature: The Ocean

Oh, how I long to visit the beach, but with the current state of pandemic, the beach is not on my summer calendar. That, however, doesn’t stop me from reflecting on a trip to the beach that I took while in graduate school a decade ago. On one trip in particular, I made some notes about a profound experience. As summer draws to an end, and as I long for the sound of the waves and the cooling water, I reflect back on that poignant evening, one spent standing in the ocean as the bold red sun dipped below the beach front properties as it escaped westward to continue its

First Friday Art Walks | Charleston Galleries are Therapeutic

In the French Quarter of Historic Charleston, there are dozens of independent art galleries. Photographic oil paintings of the low country marsh are popular, and one can find plenty of impressionistic style acrylic pieces of the historic buildings. The galleries showcase artists of extraordinary talent and skill, and Charleston knows how to spotlight this by supporting a First Friday Art Walk. In 1995, there were 25 galleries that participated in this venture; 25 years later the walk has extended to King Street and beyond with 40 galleries that open to the public. At 5:00 pm, as other shops start to close for the evening, art lovers, tourists, and college students

Can Hormone Replacement Therapy Boost Immune Function in the Face of COVID-19?

We are all scrambling during this pandemic, trying to figure out how to keep ourselves healthy under the threat of COVID-19. I love searching out any new clinical research that may help us put our health in perspective and perhaps help us strengthen our bodies, not only against COVID-19 but against any other invader lurking around the corner waiting to pounce once it gets half a chance. The immune system is and should be our number one priority right now, especially with an invisible enemy on our tails. Current literature suggests that hormones may be protective of our immune system. If you are perimenopausal, menopausal, or andropausal, and on hormone

Garden-Fresh ‘Maters

As a child I am not sure that I realized you could purchase fresh tomatoes in a store, because all the ones I ate were homegrown and garden-fresh. My family lived with my grandmother from the time I was six, and every year she grew the most delicious tomatoes. She did not have a huge garden, but instead, she planted tomatoes (and sometimes other vegetables) in the spaces between her beloved rosebushes. I remember that she saved our coffee grounds to amend the soil. Even though the concept of organic gardening was not well known in the 1970s, she instinctively knew that the flavor of the tomatoes would be enhanced

Let’s Get Physical

Back to school also brings us back to the playing field. School sports are a tradition in my family. Almost all of us played something. My husband played baseball. I was a cheerleader. Grandpa was a wrestler and golfer. When my kids were at an appropriate age, we tried them in every conceivable sport. We wanted to see what they loved. It was important to us that they had a love for the game and felt they had a choice in the selection. We knew that if they didn’t love it at the elementary and middle school levels, chances are they’d struggle later on when competition and expectation really heat

COVID-19: A Slice of Humble Pie

My world is filled with standing on stages, meeting wonderful people, writing books, and living the dream … until March of 2020. Overnight everything changed — my full calendar became empty. What’s your slice of humble pie? So we are in this together, right? My speaker buds and I have taken a hit and were served a large slice of humble pie. The first Zoom call, most of us were in shock. The once totally put-together impressive women who always dress to kill looked like they wanted to hurt somebody … anybody. I could hardly recognize some folks — no make-up and some half-dressed. You only need to be dressed

Is Eye Strain the New Normal for Us?

We are now using our computer screens more than ever, whether it is for fun, work, or school. How does all this screen time affect our eyes? How does it affect our children’s eyes? In today’s world, technology is everywhere. During the average day we use multiple digital devices and screens, including cell phones, tablets, computers, and television screens. It seems that we almost have to try to avoid regular viewing of some piece of technology, as it literally surrounds us. In fact, studies have shown that over a third of adults spend more than half their day using technology, while others have admitted their technology usage consumes 10 –

August 2020 Issue

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