I and some of my friends find this enforced isolation is working well for us. One of them said she loves to be able to stay up as late as she wants so she can work on her genealogy. With no meetings and no reason to leave her home, she sleeps late and has time to paint. She is a wonderful artist and has her studio set up where her living room was once. More convenient for her.
I am enjoying my time to schlep around in my pajamas half the day, cook for myself more nutritious meals, talk to family and friends on the phone, email and go online when I want. I think what we like is there is no pressure. Isn't that what being retired is supposed to be? But most of us fill our schedules, our calendars, with so many things that we are on the go all the time.
Many people are using this time to learn something new.
I am learning how to teach Creative Writing to six students online. I never did this before, and I am still learning every week, but my students are doing beautifully. All of them are women and three of them are mature adults. What stories they tell!
This is hard on people like my sister who was having the time of her life dancing two or three times a week. She misses it so much. Not only was it fun for her, it was so good for health. She grew stronger and had greater endurance. I hope she can get back to it before too long.
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| Getting ready for the dance |
It is a dangerous time for my older brother, Max, who will be 92 on March 30. He is bored and just getting over a hospital stay a few weeks ago. A caregiver comes in each day to care for his wife who has dementia. I try to call him when I know I have about an hour to spare. We have long conversations. He has a fantastic memory and I wish I could sit down with him for a couple of days and record all he has to tell me about our family before I was born.
Two of our NCWN-West critique groups are going to meet online.
One is a poetry group, and the other is a prose group. As much as I grumble about all the new technology, this is one time it has been worth having. I am trying to stay off Facebook. It is a time drain, and unless I need to say something or hear from someone, I don't enjoy it.
I hope all of you are staying in and finding lots of things to do. It won't be too long, maybe, before we are back to our busy, busy selves again.
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I feel a bit like your brother: bored. My entire lift is turned upside down. No hikes, no yoga, no gym, no massage, no acupuncture. I am trying to find a new routine, but it's coming along very slowly. A walk every day, with nowhere to go, and some time on my front porch lifting weights. Watching some episodes of new shows. Sigh. I was an active person and now I am down in the dumps. :-(
ReplyDeleteWe are not yet in total lockdown - though I wish we were. While we are not my partner continues to go and out and about. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI suspect isolation when/if it happens will not be a major trauma for my introverted self but I do feel for people like your sister and the lovely DJan who will be suffering a complete dislocation of their reality.
DJan, I am so sorry you find sheltering in place so difficult. Many people do. Most of you days were filled with people and that must be a shock. But the activity is probably the worst. You like exercise. I can understand a little. I miss going to PT twice a week. I miss the people and I miss how well I feel when I leave. Doing it at home is just not the same.
ReplyDeletePlease don't get depressed. You are a positive person and you can find things that are positive I'm sure. Visit with family online with Skype or Zoom(which I just learned about).
Write! Write me a guest blog post. I would love to have you on my blog. You have such an interesting life.
EC, I worry that your partner is not taking this seriously,since you are in the high risk category. I can see how staying home will not be too hard for you as it is not that hard for me right now. But I did have trouble ordering paper towels on Amazon today. lol.
ReplyDeleteThey don't have any of the brands I know and with my MCS, I can't take the chance of ordering some that have fragrance in them. But, my mother raised seven kids, took care of a husband and kept house for many years with no paper towels. Surely I can do it for a few months just for me. Take care and stay well.