and it really does feel like it’s been forever…

my happy place…where I want to be right now..

So I’ve been self isolating for over 3 weeks now. I honestly can say I enjoy time alone…time to read and relax and just be! I have had enough going out, partying, working three jobs at a time, etc. to last me a lifetime, so yeah, I enjoy my alone time. I like to read, binge watch old movies and TV shows….but, that was before we were told we couldn’t go out!

I’ve never been very good at listening to someone when they told me I “couldn’t” do something. Even my parents… To me, when someone said you can’t do that, I took it as a challenge and somehow found a way to do it. It didn’t always end well. but I did it!

But this is different, this is life threatening. Maybe some of the chances I took years ago were as well, but now at 70, I tend to look at things a little differently. When we are young, we don’t listen to the reasons why we shouldn’t do something. We think..It can’t hurt, just this once! Everything will be fine. That was then, this is now. I look at these kids on beaches and say, “what is wrong with them? Why don’t they listen and do what they are told?” And then I think, what would I do if I were their age? When we are young and have our whole life in front of us, we think we are invincible. Nothing’s going to happen. Why not? Just this one time…

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.” ~ Desmond Tutu

I think back on my life and remember several incidents when someone told me I shouldn’t do something, go out with someone or go somewhere that wasn’t safe. Their words fell on deaf ears( which isn’t really funny now since I am almost deaf) and I did it anyway. I did it because I found a way to do it and that was all that mattered.

Not this time! I am in and staying in, except for walks in the neighborhood where I hardly ever pass another human. I have 20 more years left to enjoy on this earth, maybe 30 if I’m lucky. I don’t want to take the chances I did when I was young and foolish. Chances that could end up costing me my life or a sickness that would last for a long time. I don’t want to go through that or have my kids have to deal with it and watch me go through it. I just don’t!

And so I stay in and don’t take chances. I read, binge watch old TV shows(which by the way are better than the ones on now). I run on the treadmill every day and walk. I check in on family and friends to make sure they are doing ok through this. And I write, this is the first blog post I have done in over a year. A lot has happened in that year and maybe I will write about it at some point. I’ve been wanting to start again and just kept putting it off. I figured now was as good a time as any to start!

I hope you are all doing well and doing things you enjoy without having to leave your house. I’ve told you what I’m doing, so tell me what are you doing?

“Everything has it’s wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content” ~ Helen Keller