Quarantine random thoughts #12

This is the end of week six. Liberation day in Italy. Francesco Guccini playing in the background. Time for a quick update.

Life in quarantine continues uninterrupted. I’ve been out a couple of times this week, strictly for groceries runs. I like schlepping all the way to Waitrose, I get to walk through the park and wait in line in the sunshine.

I’m still surprised by how this new condition is not as upsetting as I would have imagined.

I’ve been practicing meditation on and off for the last six years. More on than off. Basically I’ve been preparing for this: sitting alone with myself, being in the moment, there’s only “this”, let alone the idea of “shared human condition”… it is all helpful and it works.

On the other hand, I am starting to miss having plans. A lunch in town with a colleague next week. A visit to Kew next weekend. Having a flight home booked for next month.

Yesterday I actually almost booked a Ryanair flight to Trieste in May. It was available on the web site. It’s unlikely to really happen, so I didn’t buy it. But I might get it anyway, it’s not expensive, and if they cancel I will probably get the credit.

Right now every single item on my calendar is a zoom call. Work. Friends. Family. Happy hour. All in a zoom call. I try to use different devices in different corners of my room for different types of call, just to introduce a little change, but I’m starting to feel zoom fatigue.

And it’s not just zoom, it’s communication fatigue. I’m giving up closely following charts, news, opinions, projections, even the latest outrageous proclamations from the most absurd politicians are not as interesting as they were.

I’ve spent less time writing here too. Since I rebooted this blog I got back in a peculiar condition: I’m basically writing posts in my mind all the time. But mostly they are not very interesting, and I don’t want to bother you few readers with them.

Stay safe, be nice, and keep in touch.