Yes, the last 6 months have been an exercise in change……but where have they gone and what have we learned? To say the least, our lives have been turned upside down with Covid interference.
We go about our daily routine a little differently, for sure! We get up the same way in the morning…..but early on during the quarantining we may not have rushed out the door in the usual frenzy, taking just a little bit more time with that cup of coffee. When we were staying home for periods of time we began to lose track of what day it was or lost the urgency to get regular duties done. Maybe we zoned more into streaming on television and staying up later, kicking back just a little more.
Connecting via video chatting has become more a regular part of communicating instead of face-to-face. The Amazon delivery trucks seem to be a frequent site on just about every street as we do more shopping online. And, “face masks” are part of our world now…..everyone has one (or six), handy in a shirt pocket or purse as we visit stores or public places.
But, as our lives meander with different twists and turns so, too, does our lives center more on one day looking like the next. The days turn into weeks and then months and before we know it 6 months have passed…..and a new routine has emerged. It is not as it was before and it is not as we will know it going forward. We are caught creating a new path, for sure! Some things will not change but some of what we have been experiencing will stick and be the basis to form a new standard to follow.
I, for one, have found myself relaxing a little more and enjoying the absence of urgency to get things done. This resulted in tackling some projects this past Spring that have been put off forever it seems. I can feel my approach more from a sense of accomplishment than “have to”! As frustration and reluctance with the media has set in, I found myself exploring new books, television series and movies on streaming sites…..and therein I am staying in that mode, enjoying it so much more. With so many events being cancelled I have found a new level of joy as I interact with family more, both in small patio gatherings and camping excursions. We have definitely made some new memories for sure. I have a better connection with my neighbors as a result of being home more, too, as we stop and visit instead of rushing past them from one place to the next. Just taking more walks promotes being more present in my own environment…..and I simply love that!
I do miss partaking in dining out but again I have explored and found new favorites in my “at home” recipe collection, and my entertainment expense figure has shrunk sizably. I miss attending sporting events and activities of family members but hopefully I will be able to tune in online as things open up in their new format. What I know is that there will always be a flux in life so rolling with it all is just an adjustment in thinking, adapting and accepting.
I believe there has been more to gain than we have forfeited within these last months. I choose not to partake in the unrest and absurdity that has entered into our lives negatively……but choose to shift my routine encompassing what I have learned from this experience. The time has flown by BUT it definitely has not been lost!