This time of COVID isolation hasn’t been the easiest for most of us. In addition to losing access to physical affection, face to face interaction, stability, perhaps our job, and various in-person experiences, it’s brought to the forefront a lot of introspection.
While, like many others, I am feeling the squeeze of loneliness and the discombobulation of missing routines, I also feel a certain sense of peace about some things.
I certainly don’t miss waking up to a phone filled with missed robocalls, and an overflowing inbox. I don’t miss being overwhelmed with a ton of daily calls, messages, emails, and texts. I don’t miss being so harried and running from place to place and feeling like I always have to be ON!
But, there are plenty of things I yearn for and perhaps that speaks volumes about what’s really important to me. I miss cooking with my friends, I miss the coffee baristas at my favorite cafes who’ve memorized my order- small coffee in a medium cup coming right up. I miss hearing people laughing, the different expressions others make when telling their stories. I miss my coworkers from various agencies and their stories and mannerisms. I miss hearing live music performances and seeing the interested faces of the musicians as they’re totally in their own elements, feeling the rhythm deep within and bopping along with the beat. I miss hearing live comedy shows and seeing people act out their stories, and the crowd laughing- or sometimes booing along! I miss my writing class and my art class. I miss intently listening to their various life experiences. I miss running into random strangers and hearing their stories and laughing along with them, or sometimes sharing in their sadness. I miss so much, but I do appreciate the moments of downtime and learning about what’s truly important to me.
I will be using this time to continue doing introspective work and taking stock of what’s really important to me. Here’s to sipping my coffee, and slowing down for a change. How have you been spending your quarantine? What have you learned about
yourself during all this?
Elizafeasts 