For the weekend…
from Douglas E. Welch
Issue 5: January 7, 2022
Here we go again!
Everything old is new again!
Like hamsters on a wheel, dogs chasing their tail, or a universe-sized Mobius strip*, life this week is looking much like March 2020, January 2021, or July 2021 –— hunkering down, masking up, and fighting work and schools for the opportunity to work from home. As I am sure you have said many times over — BLAH!
Of course, though, we aren’t where we were 2 years ago. We have vaccines that prevent deadly illnesses. We have treatments to help those who are infected. We have figured out how to stay safe even when we have to venture outdoors. We have learned enough to stay home when rates begin to rise and loosen up our schedules when they fall.
Changes?
The only new change I have instituted in this current wave is to purchase N95 masks for us all. Rosanne will be required to wear one if her 10-person class gathers in person — which I am hoping doesn’t — but we’ll all wear them when we need to go out for any reason. It will mean abandoning my lumberjack plaid cloth mask that I have used this entire time — handmade with love by a close friend. It is looking quite worn anyway so I will wash it and store it away with the memories of these times. Perhaps some historians will find it interesting in the future.
Routines
Even before COViD, I had built a pretty established routine for working from home. I have specific tasks scheduled across the week that supports both Rosanne’s and my own projects. This includes blog posts, photography, and video posts. This means I didn’t have to adjust too much when COVID arrived. Yet, I do miss the simpler parts of my day — randomly going out for a coffee or a photo walk. Dropping by the store on a whim as I am driving by. Meeting a friend for lunch or dinner as the mood strikes us. It is often these small things that help break up a day and give it a bit of “flavor.” These last few months have given me mental images of Scrooge with his same small bowl of gruel every night in front of a too-small fire.
I think it is the sameness from day-to-day that grinds us down. That said, I now marvel at the birds and squirrels outside our office window. When Mrs. and Mr. Cooper’s (Hawk) arrive, a “whoop” goes up and we gather to gawk at them. Opossum, raccoon, neighborhood cats, and flashy flowers in the garden give us pause and a time to distract ourselves, if only for a few minutes. These have been our sustenance over these months and days.
Little Sparks
In hopes of brightening your routine days, I provide the links and books below. I know that I have come to rely on my reading — both online and offline — to produce the “little sparks” I need to get through the day. Perhaps you will find something interesting there, too. If so, let me know what provides a small spark to your day and what it might lead you to enjoy or accomplish.
Onward!
All we can do now, though, is plod ever onward. Time changes all and “this too shall pass.” We only need to maintain our peace of mind while we wait. This can mean diving into big projects or practicing all that self-care we know we need. It can mean reading a book or scrolling through TikTok or Instagram. It can mean comfy Zoom calls curled up on the sofa with blankets, drinks, and good friends. All this and more!
As Churchill often said to get through WWII — Keep Buggering On!
It doesn’t have the politeness of “Keep Calm and Carry On”, but sometimes politeness is not what you need. We need a little rudeness. A little craziness. A little fight in our lives.
Keep Buggering On!