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.
Very recognisable. This past week I realised I should make much more use of the various spaces in and around the home during the day, not be stuck in my home office for the most part as I am used to doing. Also started keeping a daily log (just a list of small things for myself), and it actually creates stimulation to blog / write more, based on small entries / thoughts in that log. In the past weeks I noticed I blogged less as so much stuff seems less relevant, or at least has lost its sense of urgency.
Missing last sentence: The daily log changes that.
Beginning of this year I made a deal with someone going through rough times to post something every day. It started out to be updates for that person specifically. Little did I know it would become an extraordinary year for myself as well. Now I include my future self as an audience when writing these daily posts. It helps to make sense of it all. And to remind myself how life is lived one day at a time, even when everything seems different overnight. What I’m trying to say to you, I really like reading uninteresting posts at this time. Beats the news every time ;-) If not for yourself, post them for me.
Thank you Ton & Elmine, I really appreciate the feedback. I like the idea of the daily log. I’ve beed doing a little of this (mostly jotting down notes with ideas for the next post), but doing it a bit more intentionally will probably make the difference.
And yes, it is true for me too: I always have to write “for somebody”. It’s great to be writing for you :)