Sheltering at home is easier at my age but the challenge is other people.
Over the last year, because of surgeries, I have had to stay home, often confined to my recliner. So, this pandemic hasn’t caused me to change my daily routine that much.
What it has done is demand a new perspective, or at the very least, a reframing.
Normally, there is not much I have to do, except brush my teeth and, every so often, shower.
So, I can sit in front of my iMac to flip between Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Then when I feel more ambitious, check out the front pages of The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Boston Globe.
By this time, I usually start feeling hungry and shut down the computer to wander into the kitchen. Big decisions await. Cereal and toast? Eggs? Maybe just a bologna and cheese sandwich, to carry with me to my recliner.
And so on, and so on.
Now, that routine has been disrupted, not necessarily physically but emotionally, by the Coronavirus pandemic.
In a state of what amounts to self-indulgent hibernation, I often let quirks of my family annoy me. Clearly, it really shouldn’t take a pandemic to change that waste of emotional energy.
More importantly, the big question remains, can I continue sitting in my chair focusing inward when there are things I can do for others facing this pandemic?
That is a rhetorical query, of course, because there are ways to reach out.
Here are some:
Humor
Careful not to be mean spirited, I can attempt to interject light-heartedness when needed. I say ‘attempt’ because some of my “being funny” can be very annoying.
Kindness
Sometimes, I am not pleasant because I’m not thinking. If I did, it would be easy enough to stop and wonder if that is how I would like to be treated.
Connection (1)
As much as we sometimes rue “screen time” and are insulted by trolls, the Internet is a valuable tool to reach out to an unlimited number of others.
Connection (2)
Remember talking with someone on the phone? Texts and emails are important but calling someone and actually speaking with them can make a huge difference.
Taking these approaches can be tricky and won’t always work. Thus as counterintuitive as it might be, we might have to stop trying so hard. We’ve done enough. Sheltering in place is a big challenge so give yourself permission to slack off some of the time.
The challenge of this crisis has so many national and global aspects that it can be overwhelming. We need to narrow it down for us in our home. The above suggestions are a way of doing that. Try them.
Words from Warren 