There are moments that I really miss COVID. Not the actual illness, but the collective timeout. I miss my blank calendar and how COVID quarantine finds that made life a tad more tolerable during our isolation period. I discovered a new ice cream that, like an addict, ordered over and over again to be delivered to my door. There was the air fryer and small convection oven that quickly became my new favorite toys to experiment with food. Let’s face it, food became the central connection with the people we were isolated with and it became a challenge on all the things I could make.
My calendar wept with relief over having a break from the action. Now, my calendar balks at any addition. It still hasn’t quite adjusted to being back in action. Same, calendar, same. I appreciate my calendar’s willingness to support me while I fill each crevice with mundane tasks like going to the doctor or doctors, in my case.
We can blame COVID for a lot of things. People are crankier. That is a fact. It is possible that the quarantine period made them realize that their life in fact, sucks, so now they pass their sunshine to everyone in their path. If anything, it forced people to stop, look, and listen as they had nothing to distract themselves from their actual real life. The “pause” as I like to refer to it, was an opportunity to look in the mirror. It’s hard to deny our baggage while we look at our own reflection.
While the timeout was beneficial for improvement in some areas, I think we backtracked a bit. I miss customer service. You know when the establishment hires people who actually give a shit. Sadly, shortages of staff are prevalent and some should just stay home away from public consumption. It would be in the best interest of society. It honestly makes me wonder if we should employ more lifeguards in the gene pool. Things are not looking good, friends.
The amazing news is that I routinely have personal timeouts and nest at home. It’s important for me to spend moments without the distraction of the outside world. It dulls the incessant noise and allows me to decompress. If the pause of 2020 taught me anything it is that I welcome the ability to tap out if I am led to do so and to adjust my expectations of other people and myself. Sometimes you can teach an old dog new tricks.
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