We are in unprecedented times with quarantines and news headlines bombarding us with stories of people becoming ill and passing away in huge numbers. I’ll admit I’ve had moments of sheer panic and overwhelming fear…but who hasn’t? Bizarre thoughts have taken residence in my mind, such as:
Did I cough because I am Covid-19 positive? Did I scrub the kitchen counter long enough? How can I launder my whole house? I hope that stranger doesn’t breathe on me/pet my dog/get too close/see that my hair is a mess/OMG…that person in line ahead of me just sneezed!
The weird thing is that no one, not even Prince Charles or Colton from The Bachelor, is immune from experiencing the effects of this dire situation.
But aside from all of the bad tidings and warnings, I have noticed quite a bit of positives from our new normal. I have seen families riding their bikes together, fathers throwing baseballs to their kids, people talking (at a big distance, mind you) on our beloved paseos, people paying attention to the most minute, beautiful details of life. I’m a fan of Instagram (sometimes) and have traveled vicariously to all points of the world. But the photos of the daily lives of people have been remarkable.
Yes, there are signs that as a community we have been forced back to life’s basics; the resulting paradox is that perhaps as we are “distant” we have grown closer as families and as a global entity.
I told my teenage daughter the other day, “This is like war time where we have to make sacrifices for the greater good.” She replied, “But at least they got to go to school.” Well, as sad as I am for my daughter — and all people young and old out there who inherently crave social interaction and fun times with one another (and especially high school and college seniors who are unable to celebrate their achievements traditionally) — the truly great thing is that they will appreciate going to school again in ways previously unimaginable! Who knew?
There are so many things I miss about being able to roam the earth freely — namely dining out at our favorite restaurants, having social gatherings with our friends and having a “work day” routine. My husband and I have had to get very creative (another plus!) with our free time. We have instituted a mandatory cocktail hour, game time (Scrabble and a newly purchased one, Rummikub, cards, etc.), and the occasional ordering out of food. Yesterday we lit our firepit in front of our house and our neighbors from across the street sat a very socially distant degree away from us. We chatted awhile eating our separate dinners. That was living it up!
I watched a video the other day that my son forwarded to me. In it, businessman and author Robert Kiyosaki talks about many ways to handle the Coronavirus recession; one of my favorite ideas he brings up is how we can become butterflies after we have been in our cocoon.
I love this idea and am trying as best I can to embrace it: If we can all work on improving ourselves as much as possible, exploring possibilities and being our best selves while staying at home and observing social distance, then we will emerge as better people after all of this. It is not an easy task, however.
What the effects of this pandemic will have on us as a society is yet to be seen. I’m sure sociologists are going to have a field day figuring out the ramifications of this tragic and unique situation. Of course, this is not the first time we have had large numbers of deaths from disease and/or war. Unfortunately, it won’t be the last.
One thing I have found helpful is keeping a routine. Every morning after my coffee and checking my emails and NY Times daily briefing, I watch an episode of The Crown. I can’t tell you how decadent this feels! Then I begin my laundry list of chores: cleaning the litter boxes, washing dishes, marketing (only when necessary), changing the towels, gardening, laundry, etc. Around lunchtime I might read a bit or indulge in yet another episode of my favorite Netflix series. After that, I walk my dog, work on a “project” (currently painting an old wooden bench), prepare dinner, catch up on correspondence and more chores (scrubbing something I haven’t scrubbed before!).
There was a recent New York Times article by astronaut Scott Kelly about how a routine was fundamental to survival (mentally, physically and spiritually!) during his year in space. If anyone should know what it’s like to be cooped up, it is an astronaut!
I have a secret admission, though. This whole new routine is practically a luxury to me, as I am usually working and don’t get home until 3:30 pm every day — and then I’m tired and still have chores to do. I have also been writing more — one of my life’s long lost goals and passions. I want to make the most of this chunk of time to explore my own creativity.
My heart goes out to all of the people who are still working and “necessary.” They don’t have this luxury and are in harm’s way, every day. The toll this is taking on front line medical workers is inconceivable. But for those of us hunkering down, holed up in our homes to flatten the curve, let’s work on this cocoon of ours. In a month or two (I hope!) we will be flapping our beautiful wings for all to see!
Cheryl Thatt-Burbank 