Quarantine Work Arounds

This blog is about enjoying life, because of the few things I do well, that is one of them.  I always wanted to share my tips and tricks for making an empty-nest or retirement lifestyle the best.  Now I find myself struggling to be upbeat.  Everyone is inundated with negative right now and I don’t want to add to it.  But I need to be honest and talk about how I’m dealing with this isolation and hoping to come out with my sanity.

I am addressing how I’m filling the holes in my life.  I am not addressing the people who are out of work, are ill, are lonely or confused because of this.  There are a million tragic stories when everyone’s life is upended. If you have any way of supporting those who need it, please do.

Here is what I miss from my old life and my current work-around:

Group Exercise and the Gym

Humans are social creatures.  Some of us find joy in being with one or two others and some of us find joy being with many others.  We like to choose those with whom we spend time.  For instance, I love to attend group exercise classes.  Unless I don’t like the other participants.  Yep, it’s true.  When there are nasty regulars in a class, I won’t go.  It’s more than just the exercise; it’s with whom I’m spending my time.  Because let’s face it, we’re never getting that time back and we need to spend it happily.

That coupled with the fact that I’ve worked a great deal on the road and had to find exercise where I could, means I’m self-disciplined enough to go for a walk, a run and do a YouTube video at home.  I have liked Jessica Smith for a few years because she’s challenging but very doable.

If you’re not a gym person, you are not missing a thing.  But if you are, I know what a chunk is missing from your lives.

The Library

As I’ve talked about ad nauseam, I read on my Kindle, and the library is still loaning electronically, but the fact that a building with books and magazines and movies and HUMAN BEINGS in it is closed is heart breaking for me. 

I loaded up a free app from the library called Hoopla which is a free movie-streaming app.  I watched a couple of movies which were comparable to what you’d find on Amazon Prime Streaming.

Church

I haven’t attended church for years (for reasons I’ll not discuss) but I still practice my belief in God.   What I’ve always said I missed is the fellowship.  Now everyone else is missing that too.  Ironically, I have attended church live the last two Sundays online.  God still hears us, so lift your voice and your heart the best ways you can.

School

I have been meaning to sign up for some continuing ed classes and just have not found anything compelling enough or easy enough to get into.  Now that is no longer an option.  Poof, it’s gone.  There are a lot of educational resources online and I guess now I’m going to get serious about digging into that and see what might be interesting.

The teaches at our local elementary school filled the sidewalks in front of the school with messages of love, and left chalk and hand sanitizer so the messages could be added to.

Sports

I don’t love watching sporting events, but I do enjoy attending them.  Arizona’s entire spring training season got cancelled.  We had plans to attend our annual University of Denver event when the Rockies and Diamondbacks met.  Nope, didn’t happen.

Not only that, all sporting events have been cancelled so nobody is at home hanging out watching on TV either.  I could care less, but someone in my house has his style crimped.

What I have noticed is that families are at the park or walking or riding bikes or fishing in the ponds.  They are spending time together outside and they seem happy.

What’s Next?

On Grief and Grieving by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler, the five stages of grief  we go through are identified. The stages are in no particular order and no particular time frame as we adapt to loss in our lives.  I recognize I am grieving over these losses in my life and have experienced denial, anger and depression.  I’m not to acceptance yet.

None of us have a crystal ball.  We don’t know when this will end or what our new reality will look like.  We can just show up every day and have the best day we can.

I am sending you love and blessings and peace and grace. Remember where your treasure really is. I keep trying to remember mine is where Matthew 6:21 says it is.