living in the time of quarantine

Every day feels like the day before. And this is something being universally felt around the globe as countries enact shelter-in-place rules.

The basic rules are as follows:

1) Don't leave your house.

2) If you must leave your house, lest it be only for essential trips

     a) Essential trips include: getting your socially distant (6ft/2m) daily breath of fresh air and picking up the items intended to keep you alive.

3) If you are a non-essential worker: stay home.

4) If you are an essential worker: thank you from the deepest depths of our hearts (and I'm sorry for how tough it has been).

5) Keep breathing. Keep breathing. Keep breathing.

When this quarantine began, I was in the midst of a new job -- a three-month-part-time contract that was about to be extended and eventually, or rather the hope was, full-time. Now, due to lay-offs and concerns about how long this will go (and we all know it'll go for much longer), I'm about to be unemployed once again. Except, in this case, simply re-applying for jobs is not as vital as an option since no one can afford to hire anyone.

So here I am. Writing. Something I joyfully and fleetingly got to do for a job and now embracing as a hobby once again in this "time of uncertainty" -- man, I've written about our "new reality" a bunch lately, and here I am still doing it.

Besides writing what else can I do? Well, I can also make sure I listen to copious amounts of music (easy), spend time in the garden (and with the bees), sitting on my windowsill embroidering (while watching people do their best to socially distance on walks), call my friends and loved ones (and laugh until I cry), and try not to get down on myself when I have a less-than-productive day (and really, what even is productivity these days?)

But I'm making it work. We're all making it work -- or trying to, anyway, which is all we really can do at this point.


song: https://open.spotify.com/track/0Tunedc3DCW5RHUJytg5oB?si=dSdIqcxUSKyJ3sj4f5erAg