THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN

Times of temporary self-isolation can be a gift. During the pandemic, I'm learning to enjoy my own company. With no daily distractions or commitments, my source of entertainment is moi, my art, my books, and my music. 

I'm not bored or boring yet.

By not living at breakneck speed, I have time to reflect while also letting creative ideas flow through me. Strangely, I don't feel an urgency to rush and get them down on paper. I sense that something more interesting is brewing or lurking in the deep recesses of those mind nooks I don't always have access to when I'm busy. I may be wrong but I don't care. Allowing my subconscious to surface and flourish at its own pace is a thrill.

Other good stuff:

a) I'm spending less money this month. Not great for the economy but April's bills should be less intimidating for a change. I had to replace my car windshield last week because a rock flew into it as a truck whizzed by me on the highway. Windshields are costly. No driving means no trucks pelting stones at my car. I'm also spending less on gas which is beneficial for the environment.

b) As I walk through quiet neighbourhoods, I nostalgically recall eerie moments from The Twilight Zone. Rod Sterling had the ability to contrive alternate realities, which turned out to be not so alternate after all. Food for thought. Why can't our leaders have comparable foresight? Does this ability only reside in the heads of creative types?

The Soldier

c) My younger neighbour, friends and son call me regularly to see if I need anything. Wow, wow and wow.

d) I'm letting my gray hair grow in. Roots are less painful to live with if no one sees them. I hope to emerge as a new entity in a few months that no one recognizes. I doubt I'll morph into a butterfly. I'll more than likely resemble a colourless moth but hey, some are quite distinctive.

e) Most importantly, I'm ordering groceries online. Lots of benefits: no impulse buying, fewer cars on the road, and a sense that even in isolation, eating decent meals is possible.

If my health changes so will my perceptions but for now I am grateful for the time. Soldier on!