About the only ‘semi-positive’ thing I can discover about the ‘new normal’ these days, is that social distancing has forced most of us to become a great deal more creative.
Originally, driven mostly by herd panic, I intended to take my temperature every day. That effort was pretty quickly aborted when I found that the only thermometer I actually possessed was a meat thermometer.
Frankly, trying to determine whether rare or medium rare is better, and whether one defines most comfortably as pork, beef or veal is frustrating. And, in the interests of reader delicacy, we won’t even discuss the whole issue of just where to insert!
So I moved on to figuring out how to be creative, living alone, when trapped at home indefinitely. I am excluding activities like closet cleaning and drawer reorganizing. I mean, I already do that stuff regularly, at least once every eight or so years. So what else could I do?
Well, I continue to colour a lot. When I mention my adult colouring books on line, however, I have noticed that people have the most peculiar reactions. So I hasten to add, NOT those kind of adult books.
I cleaned my yard. I have never cleaned my yard. It was such an unusual occurrence in my world that my mortal enemies, squirrels, halted their evil activities and gathered in rows on the clothes line to watch.
I’ve also been walking quite a bit. If this keeps up, I could become fit. I have never been fit.
I also, at least once a week, on a sunny day, load myself into the car and set out to drive around back country roads, to see spring coming to the fields and trees. (Farm girl, remember.)
I like to take those ‘roads less travelled’ on these journeys – read, no idea where they are going. I have been creatively lost at least twice so far.
Let’s just say that if you start off driving in the direction of Spencerville and come out two hours later somewhere east of Ingleside, you nave NO sense of direction.
But it is an adventure. I don’t stop anywhere on these magical, mystery tours, of course, but as I drive around I wave to a lot of people. And they always wave back. That’s nice.
We don’t know how long these tough times might last, but the truth is, creativity never dies. I have other ideas to share.
Maybe I’ll actually open one of my pristine cook books, and start to learn a whole new language.
Hang in there.