Well here we are in Month Nine of The Plague.
Thanksgiving was a few days ago and a lot of people went ahead and had too many people over to eat a meal that they could postpone and eat at any other safer time but, dammit, they won't be denied!
Black Friday was yesterday and did not disappoint despite the plague: the roads were rife with oblivious, manic shoppers and there was the requisite fistfight...this time at the local mall and over the last PS5, which I think is the latest video game apparatus.
Black Friday was yesterday and did not disappoint despite the plague: the roads were rife with oblivious, manic shoppers and there was the requisite fistfight...this time at the local mall and over the last PS5, which I think is the latest video game apparatus.
Fighting. With fists. Over a video game machine.
During a pandemic.
Sure, why not?
Sure, why not?
If you are like me, none of the ongoing nonsense is doing much to restore your faith in humanity at a time when we so, so desperately need a little faith restoration.
Also, if you are like me, you're dealing with a whole lot of inertia right about now.
I don't even really leave the house much anymore except to go pick up curbside grocery orders, a service for which I have gratitude on a level I did not think possible.
I don't even really leave the house much anymore except to go pick up curbside grocery orders, a service for which I have gratitude on a level I did not think possible.
Sometimes I put Luna (dog) in her doggie car seat and we go for aimless car rides, safely hermetically sealed in our vehicle. I like to drive to places with parking lots so we can people watch (I watch, she barks). This lets me feel less isolated, and lets Luna hone her ferociousness. All 12 pounds of it.
A lot of people recognize that we all badly need a big old dose of merriment at this time and they went ahead and graciously decorated their homes for the holidays seemingly a little earlier than usual this year so that JP and I (and Luna) could pile into the car and drive around aimlessly at night ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the pretty lights. If you don't do this or haven't yet done this, I cannot recommend it strongly enough.
Pretty lights offer a nice break from the inertia, albeit briefly. Last night we saw a Ralphie inflatable on a neighbor's lawn. We could have gone home at that minute because my night was made complete by the fantastic-ness of it. I'll get a photo of it soon so you, too, can bask in its glory.
Pretty lights offer a nice break from the inertia, albeit briefly. Last night we saw a Ralphie inflatable on a neighbor's lawn. We could have gone home at that minute because my night was made complete by the fantastic-ness of it. I'll get a photo of it soon so you, too, can bask in its glory.
As I find myself in such appreciation of those who are aiding humanity in any way during these interesting times, I recognize that I need to do my part, too.
Not easy to do when you almost never leave the house. I mean, JP and I had an actual conversation the other evening about steps I can take or am taking to battle the inertia and insure I don't go full-blown agoraphobic, like taking aimless car rides, for example.
I experienced the same feeling when we lived in Easton during Round I of The Plague. I wanted and needed to be helpful, somehow - to lift people's spirits - while being terrified to go outside.
In actuality it wasn't outside that I was/am afraid of. I'm desperate to spend time out of doors, I just don't want to come into contact with people or anything they may have touched while doing so.
So back during Easton time, I painted.
Not easy to do when you almost never leave the house. I mean, JP and I had an actual conversation the other evening about steps I can take or am taking to battle the inertia and insure I don't go full-blown agoraphobic, like taking aimless car rides, for example.
I experienced the same feeling when we lived in Easton during Round I of The Plague. I wanted and needed to be helpful, somehow - to lift people's spirits - while being terrified to go outside.
In actuality it wasn't outside that I was/am afraid of. I'm desperate to spend time out of doors, I just don't want to come into contact with people or anything they may have touched while doing so.
So back during Easton time, I painted.
I paint because it calms me and raises my serotonin which I am in desperate short supply of.
I bought real wood circles and pressed wood squares from Amazon and I painted happy scenes on them. And I drilled holes in them and added hanging string which turned them into ornaments and then I wrapped them up and went outside with Luna (without touching anything) and left them in places where people could find them. It was fun, rewarding. I felt helpful, for others and for myself, in a small way. Some of the people who found them wound up messaging me and telling me things like how it made their day. There's the reward, right there.
I bought real wood circles and pressed wood squares from Amazon and I painted happy scenes on them. And I drilled holes in them and added hanging string which turned them into ornaments and then I wrapped them up and went outside with Luna (without touching anything) and left them in places where people could find them. It was fun, rewarding. I felt helpful, for others and for myself, in a small way. Some of the people who found them wound up messaging me and telling me things like how it made their day. There's the reward, right there.
You can guess what I've been doing lately, right?
Painting ornaments.
Christmas-themed ones. Which I'll wrap up and leave around for strangers to find here in Ocean County.
To make it more fun, I think I might make videos of me leaving them in places or at least photograph where I've left them. Maybe it'll become like a treasure hunt...or maybe it won't. Doesn't really matter.
Painting ornaments.
Christmas-themed ones. Which I'll wrap up and leave around for strangers to find here in Ocean County.
To make it more fun, I think I might make videos of me leaving them in places or at least photograph where I've left them. Maybe it'll become like a treasure hunt...or maybe it won't. Doesn't really matter.
The point is to do things - any things - that brighten your day, lighten your load.
If doing those things winds up brightening and lightening other humans, you get 10,000,000 bonus/karmic/good juju points + a Helper Of Humans merit badge.
If doing those things winds up brightening and lightening other humans, you get 10,000,000 bonus/karmic/good juju points + a Helper Of Humans merit badge.
And who doesn't want one of those?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your thoughtful comment.
Thank you, too, for not spamming and trolling anonymously.
We know who you are through tracking :-)