Unreality

Every now and then I get this pang of recognition – things are not normal and isn’t this weird?


The reality of quarantining settles into my consciousness. Other times I’m doing fine writing, reading, doing minor chores, planning the next online grocery buy and arrange delivery. Other times we watch TV but getting to the dregs, now. Not much worth viewing. At least many premium channels are now free on cable for a short time for us to preview. This has added content for us to peruse.


Volunteer work continues at a slower pace via Zoom or email meetups. That works OK, but not great. The immediacy of personal contact is missed. Thinking and the cues to spontaneous conversations that have impact are weakened. At least the work progresses.


Still there is time to do…what, nap? Yep. Nap. At least twice daily plus 8 hours or more through the night. Yes, we are getting plenty of rest.


All of the above wards off recognizing the reality of quarantining. It just does. But then, just when unexpected, pop! Suddenly I’m thinking about the isolation and enforced discipline of having plenty of time at hand to do whatever I’ve been putting off. Well, not everything, I can’t go for rides in the country, go out to a restaurant for breakfast or lunch, and I can’t even plan a summer vacation at this point.


My daughter, granddaughter and I zoomed on Saturday morning for the first time. We normally visit every Saturday morning for a couple of hours. Quarantine changed that. Zoom has opened a door to a new reality we are trying out. Not bad.


Spring is busting out now. Outside my home office window are green lawns, budding trees and a few flowers blooming. The stage is set for a full unveiling of mother nature by the end of April. That’s worth watching from our fourth floor window. The neighborhood (suburban downtown) is eerily quiet and very little traffic. The commuter trains still run across the street but with nary a soul on them. The parking lot is nearly empty (2 cars out of 250 spaces).


Still there are urges to do more. But we can’t. not without breaking quarantine. And that would be selfish.


The reality turns unreal. The solution is hope to an end of the Covid-19 virus and its rampage. We await broad-scaled testing before witnessing any major change. And that is the smart thing to do.

Meanwhile we keep our minds busy and engaged. That starts with avoiding national news programs. Local ones are fine. We have great mayors and governor who speak truth and make sound decisions. That helps a lot.


I hope it does for you as well.


April 21, 2020