People are finding new ways to cope and pass the time while in isolation and personal distancing.
We are living through extraordinary times. Most of us are experiencing something we have never heard of before nor have been through. It’s like wartime. On CBC Radio recently, host Michael Enright said,
“Like wartime rationing, we all have to suddenly pay attention to new rules, new ways of doing things or not doing things.
War analogies are appropriate. The crisis is national and global. Governments are asking us to work together. Industry is enlisted to discover or invent new weaponry. Staying healthy has become a matter of patriotism.”
So now, in our effort to isolate ourselves and to practice personal distancing, we are rediscovering the pleasure of books (among other worthy ways to spend our time).
Ever since we decided (immediately after having friends over for St Patrick’s Day) to no longer socialize, I’ve been blessed with more time for reading. Sure, I’m still getting out for walks with the dog, doing spring yard work, and otherwise getting invaluable fresh air but I’m embracing the additional reading opportunities.
Books can provide escape. Information. Distraction. Solace. Connection. They’re a way to pass the time. All are things we need now, more than ever.
It’s interesting that a book I read a couple years ago, is one I chose for our book club to read this year, because it deals with isolation and loneliness — yet in a unique but positive way. Kent Haruf’s “Our Souls at Night” is about two older people wishing they had someone with whom they could talk to, alone in the dark. They end up sharing nights together talking and rediscovering conversation and companionship. It’s one of those books that really makes a person think about how easily this could be any one of us. It’s a book I definitely recommend. It’s an easy read yet eloquently written, bittersweet, and inspiring all in one small package. It may be just the type of book to give you solace during this pandemic.
“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” — Leo Tolstoy ~ War and Peace
Do you have a book to recommend? How are you spending your extra time while isolated during the pandemic?
Wishing all you warriors patience and health at this time. There is no reason for us not to find joy in the simple — and more meaningful — things in life!
I am reading too…after a week or so when the world was far too distracting. There is a new book out called LEAN OUT, by Tara Henley, about new ways to imagine how we can live our lives and shape our days, and it’s perfect for this moment.
Books. Yes. Agree with your book recommendation–Our Souls At Night is beautiful. Music. Yes. My piano skills will be better when this passes. If you don’t play, listen.
Cooking: Yes. Eating at home every meal reminds me that in my childhood, a meal out was a rare treat. We can do this again.
Technology. Yes. The good parts–Zoom, Group FaceTime. And I’m finally learning how to use some of the things I’ve had access to but ignored because I thought it was hard.
Silence. Yes. It truly is golden now in so many ways. (i.e….turning off excess news)
Thank you for the beautiful photos. Stay safe.
the bluish hue you’ve applied to your pics here is so fitting. good to hear you’re making yourself busy with something off the grid. if the infrastructure continues at pace, it won’t hold up and then everyone, no matter what measure of health they possess will know they are a part of this as well. (i know, i know, i’m using the grid to post this : – )
I have a cleaned, organized (with additional shelving, even!) and well-stocked pantry with help from DH, Older Son and Younger Son. And DH has worked on making a clean spot in our basement to store paperwork for his parents, out of our living room. I’m more caught up on doing bookkeeping for DH’s business.
My chorus is meeting online, via Slack and Zoom. We can’t all sing together over Zoom (everyone’s lag is different, picture random ’rounds’ as we are all in slightly different places in our music), but we can (mostly) see and hear each other, listen to our director, go over a couple of songs, and if our mics are muted. I miss seeing them in person.
And I’m seeking to find a balance of obtaining good data (my brain sends me seeking ‘good’ data – more accurate and more timely – even when I don’ wanna!) with not spending all my time at that. Plenty of reading, knitting, sewing, and other deeper cleaning available for distraction!
Peace, and stay safe!
–Jean Marie
[Having read a detailed analysis of the virus and possible responses/outcomes over the weekend, staying isolated like this is *absolutely* necessary. Probably for longer than we want to (this is only our second week here in SW Virginia and we aren’t on stay-at-home like California and New York – closest cases are around Roanoke which means it is getting closer to us. Today the governor announced that all schools are done for this school year. And it is hard, hard to change habits). But I’d rather miss seeing my friends for several weeks now than miss seeing them forever.
(The article is Coronavirus the Hammer and the Dance, on medium.com. A long read, but for any others who need/prefer hard data over guesses or wishful thinking, it might be worth the time).]
We’re always doing lots of reading when we travel, but now that we are in 14 day quarantine we are really enjoying having wifi!! It’s such a joy to have endless wifi, something we have missed for 5.5 months. It has really helped when totally stuck indoors. So much for us to research for our next trip! And we never have unlimited wifi. I have 10GB on my cell phone but I can go thru that in a month no problem – and that’s without using it to watch movies.
We do have a deck at the BnB we are staying at that we can go out and sit, but other then that walks are out and we have no outside work to do 🙂 Watching movies is something we also enjoy so with Netflix and Crave available here, we’re busy all day! Also got my daughter to drop off some more staples and loaf pans so now I can get back to making bread, that’s another joy right now is an oven! We are pretty simple people and get excited when we are in a place with 1000 sq ft to roam in – I know – weird!!! But we are enjoying our time and we are use to being just the 2 of us for months at a time, so nothing new. I do miss writing my blog, but definitely not enough happening now to right about LOL!!! Glad you guys are now also staying to yourselves – much healthier in the long run, can always get together with friends later, or on FaceTime, which I’ve also been doing. I do wish I had my knitting needles with me and my bags of wool, but they are all still in Edmonton in the 5th wheel for now.
Keep enjoying your time inside and outside during these crazy times and stay healthy 🙂