The long days all run together now, and the weeks fly by. Is today Tuesday or Thursday? They all seem like Blursday. Once upon a time I lived on a schedule, but the elements of its sameness didn’t cage me into complacency. I had places to go, people to see, commitments to fulfill. Needless to say, my new (non)routine is just not the same.
Now, to enhance my humble experiences, I get all color coordinated just to pay a live visit to my physician, grateful the telemed visits are over (for now?). She kindly admires my attire, and tells me how she wears nothing but pajamas outside of work. Now, in mask and sunglasses, I dare to go braless in the supermarket because no one can tell who I am anyway. Now, I find the best backdrop in the house to frame my face in zoom calls. Little things like that have come to mean a lot.
On certain days I am highly disciplined. In lieu of the gym, I work out at home, a little each day, which works out to equal the same amount of time I spent there. I miss the other faithfuls who worked out there before dawn, as I did. But then, I miss everyone, even the ones whose names I never knew. Sometimes I go past the gym on my morning walk and peer in the window. Few people are inside, all masked strangers, no one hanging out and talking to each other.
I clean my house, which barely needs cleaning, because I live alone (with two cats) and no one visits. Well I do have to keep up with the cat hair. I comb them every day, and you’d think they’d be bald with all the hair I collect, but they still have enough to surprise me with occasional hair balls on the carpet.
I prepare pots of soup, pasta, lots of eggs for salad. Most meals last for days. I gained weight (the whole quarantine fifteen) since the February lockdown, and lost six pounds in the past few weeks. I’m not snacking. Have cut out the alcohol. When temptation strikes I distract myself. I’m easily distracted these days.
On other days, I pretend to live my image of the ‘writer’s life’ (sans the booze). I say pretend, because I have to live a lot of it my head, talking to the muses on my desk wall (shown below), with the occasional human contact, usually online. My community of writers, with their advice and encouragement, has saved me from losing my daily commitment to the craft. Zoom has kept me in front of some of my fans. Book sales are good.
I count my blessings every single day. My family is well. My children have secure jobs. We want for little, except getting back to our ‘normal’ lives.
Stay safe, everyone. Turn off the news and grab a good book. Rumor has it that Amazon.com has fifteen million of them online for you to choose from.
