“We all agree that social media can be both a blessing and
a curse. However I am beyond grateful for the special groups
that have lifted my spirits since this craziness started....”
BEING AN EARLY BIRD, I have always enjoyed early
morning walking dates. To me, a morning walk is my quiet
time to connect with friends and get caught up before the
day gets hectic, something which has happened with increasingly
regularity in the wake of COVID-19. Recently, a
dear friend encouraged me to join a Facebook
COVID-19 walking group with a commitment
to complete a marathon of
miles a week and post pictures and
updates in the group each day.
I said, “Okay, I am in!” Then,
#SpasPushingLimits started
weekly challenges and I again
said, “Okay, I am in!” Because of
these social
media initiatives,
I haven’t
missed out on
my morning
walks even
though life has
certainly been
busier than ever.
We all agree
that social media
can be both a blessing and a curse.
However, I am beyond grateful for the special
groups that have lifted my spirits since
this craziness started on March 13, when
many spas closed and the ISPA team began
to work remotely and became significantly smaller.
We have all been stuck in our seats on endless ZOOM calls
for months now (yes, ZOOM fatigue is a thing—trust me!),
which makes me more thankful than ever for the motivation
provided by social media as well as all my walking
partners and friends (old and new)!
Friendly challenges and groups like
these have been an incredible
distraction in an extraordinary time,
providing purpose and accountability
when it has never been
easier for those concepts to fall
through the cracks. I am so grateful
for each of you and the many
private walks where
we solved problems
and actually listened
to each other—not
just listened, but
heard each other!
There are many of you
in the ISPA community
that I have not met or
walked with (yet), but
nonetheless, have virtually encouraged
me along the way. THANK YOU!
—LYNNE McNEES, ISPA PRESIDENT
CONNECT WITH ME ON FACEBOOK! Lynne Walker McNees
64 PULSE ■ AUGUST 2020