When the pandemic first reared its head here in the United States, we were already underway in the weekend of the OCD Gamechanger Annual Event in Denver, CO. There were some concerns about travel the week before from attendees, but none of us thought anything too serious. Once everyone arrived for the weekend, there were rumblings going on, but skepticism seemed to dominate the mood toward COVID-19.
Once the last attendee boarded their plane, my husband and I, exhausted but elated about such a wonderful weekend, turned our attention to the news. And that was when we knew something big was brewing. We knew just how lucky we were to have been able to host the OCD Gamechangers event on the last weekend before the entire United States shut down.
The following week was a hard pill to swallow. There was so much misinformation, fear, and confusion on what was truly happening and how all of us should be reacting. I was trying to hang on to the high of our event while keeping my sadness at bay because I missed everyone so much, but everything felt scary and uncertain. I had never experienced anything like this, and I felt truly lost.
That was when I got an idea.
I had always loved the story of FDR in his Presidency hosting ‘Fireside Chats’ over the radio directly to the American people during a time of fear and uncertainty. He wanted the American people to feel like he was sitting with them in that fear and he was one of them. He wanted them to believe he was sitting beside them at the fire. He wanted them to feel safe during a time where safety and security felt fleeting.
I wanted this for the community and also for myself! I wanted OCD Gamechangers to be sitting with each of you by the fireplace, helping you to feel a sense of safety and security in a time where uncertainty felt so scary.
I lined up individuals to come onto the Fireside chats who are leaders and influencers in our community to meet with me over the course of the next several months. I wanted to hear these individual’s authentic experience and raw emotions about what was happening in our world. I wanted to see familiar faces, ones that our community trusts to help us feel like we were okay, that we were validated in feeling the way we do, and to help us feel less alone on this unfamiliar path.
The series did not disappoint. We shared laughter, tears, anger, joy, set-backs, break throughs, and most of all, we shared connection. Our fireside chats became a source of strength, hope, and encouragement for listeners and for the OCD Gamechanger community. It was something that kept me hopeful and also helped me to feel more normal in the grief, fear, and uncertainty I was experiencing. I was so grateful OCD Gamechangers could be there with all of you every week, walking alongside you through such a tough time.
Our exciting news is that we will be bringing all of the COVID-19 Fireside Chat participants back on December 12th LIVE on OCD Gamechangers Facebook page and Youtube Channel to check back in and let us know how they are doing and what they have learned since they came on their original chat! Each individual will pop in at some point and give us a 4-5 minute update. We will stream live and we will be fundraising for OCD Gamechangers and in partnership with ‘Not Alone Notes’ to promote their new advocacy project that will roll out in 2021.
We cannot wait to see you live December 12th starting at 8pmEST/5pmPST for a full evening of what I anticipate to be laughter, insight, and takeaways from some of the biggest influencers in our OCD community on the state of their life in the 2020 COVID era.
In the meantime, we will be posting blogs from individuals in our community sharing their personal stories on how they have coped with COVID-19 in 2020. We look forward to sharing these and helping you feel more normal in your experience through these times of uncertainty.
