Words by Riley Fitzgerald
Graphic by Press

In 1969 Yoko Ono and John Lennon devised a series of bed-ins to promote world peace.

Realizing their March 20 wedding on the isle of Gibraltar would attract a massive amount of media attention, Lennon, and Ono decided to capitalize on the frenzy to broadcast their pacifism and anti-war idealism to the world.

Not long after exchanging vows, the pair traveled to Amsterdam where, after checking into the Hilton Hotel, they would spend the next seven days in bed.

It was far from a conventional honeymoon.

The bed-ins were part of media circus, part performance art.

Every day the newlyweds invited dozens of members press, political figures, and even Beatles fans into their room to discuss their peace crusade.

“We thought instead of just being ‘John and Yoko Get Married’,” Lennon later explained of the bed-in,”[it should be] ‘John and Yoko get married and have a bed-in for peace’. So we would sell our product, which we call ‘peace’. And to sell a product you need a gimmick, and the gimmick we thought was ‘bed’. And we thought ‘bed’ because bed was the easiest way of doing it, because we’re lazy. It took us a long train of thought of how to get the maximum publicity for what we sincerely believed in, which was peace – and we were part of the peace movement.”

The pair would repeat the event between the 26th of May 1969 and June 1st at another Hilton Hotel in Montreal.

Some 51 years later, Yoko Ono is self-isolating alongside millions of other Americans.

Located in New York, Ono sits within one of the areas of the US most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With over 59,000 New Yorkers now diagnosed with the virus, the city makes up close to 50% of all cases in the US.

At age 87, Ono also sits within one of the age brackets most vulnerable to the deadly virus.

Nevertheless Ono is, echoing the sentiment of the bed-in some 51 years before, using the period of crisis to spread a positive message.

Tweeting words of wisdom with regular ferocity, Ono has provided several inspiring quotes that can help even the most ardent her critics deal with the difficult times.

Here are seven.

1. Don’t Panic

Don't let panic slip in between us. We are one. One body, one mind of a very strong, intellegent and inspired seven billion people.

— Yoko Ono (@yokoono) March 22, 2020

2. Get Creative 

Anything you do creatively will give you satisfaction and make you feel better about yourself and others.
Keep being creative and you will have so much love for yourself, the human race, the planet and the universe, you won't know what hit you.

— Yoko Ono (@yokoono) March 26, 2020

3. Accept Change

Whatever happens, we will find a way to make it good.
Whatever happens, we will find a way to complain profusely.

— Yoko Ono (@yokoono) March 25, 2020

4. Don’t Give In To Fear And Doubt 

Build your own dream life. Don’t concentrate your mind on fear and doubt about the future. You will then be attracting fear and doubt.

— Yoko Ono (@yokoono) March 21, 2020

5. Fear Blocks Love 

Love is a feeling we all have unless we block it, for no reason except fear. It’s great to feel love for everything around you and afar.

— Yoko Ono (@yokoono) March 20, 2020

6. Think Good Thoughts 

If you want to know what people can do in their daily lives to bring world peace, just be your good self, with good thoughts.

— Yoko Ono (@yokoono) March 27, 2020

7. Live In The Light Of Hope 

Live in the light of hope. You may be bathed in the light of hope one day. It would be good… right?

— Yoko Ono (@yokoono) March 19, 2020