“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”
~ Leo Tolstoy - War and Peace ~
When the world hit the pause button in March 2020, the global community went into lock down mode. While self quarantining and/or social distancing isn’t a new concept, it is the first time our generation has to deal with it. Like it or not, you’re stuck with yourself. Taking personal inventory of oneself is paramount.
We are social by nature and meant to be together. We don’t do well separating from the herd. We clink glasses during festive events and toast one another at local watering holes around the world echoing the words slainte or salude. In an ironic twist of fate, wishing one good health these days is a virtual endeavor via Zoom.
Until further notice: time & silence are abundant so let’s take advantage of the opportunity.
Rockland Lake State Park - NY
I’ve come to enjoy the new found tranquility. I’ll readily admit, I’m looking forward to seeing people in person again to share a meal, bottle of wine or simply hugging one another. Separation causes anxiety, stress or various mental health disorders. None of these are good and develop over time so the quicker we get back to social norms, the better.
Time is the age old commodity in short supply. Strangely, we’ve seemed to have found plenty of it during this pandemic. We didn’t expand each day to include more hours, we managed to eliminate the extraneous and allocated hours to what’s important. Funny how this happens?
Personally, I find myself reading more books, blogs and listening to podcasts in the last two months. Although I’ve dabbled in the podcast world before, I’m learning it’s a great source of world news and an outside perspective. A few favorites that have emerged include; The Economist - Radio and BBC Global News. Both are insightful and very informative. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention having rediscovered Outside Magazine and Outside TV. The outdoor lifestyle is alive and well… despite it’s brief retreat… and these two media sources fully document the fact.
So there you have it… In this less-is-more world, I seem to watch less TV and find more joy in a quiet environment. It’s a nice change of pace. I’m not sure if this will morph into a long term tendency, but until we can blend our spirits in unity again, going solo and maintaining some distance works for me.