Post 36: #Coronavirus and a global perspective on… anything, again.

Weekends are free-for-all for our little group. In case you’re new here, we’re sharing our uncensored experiences, thoughts, and opinions during lockdown, quarantine, and self-isolation. For some of us, it’s DAY 36. 

Living in a bucket of noise

Charlie, Washington, DC Metropolitan Area

My neighbors are oblivious to the fact they have neighbors who can hear every friggin’ stomp, jump, and bash they make. I am held captive in a bucket of noise. I learn too late that the condo I recently bought, where I was assured there was state-of-art soundproofing between floors, is just another contractor lie.

I’m learning many things in the Time of Corona. Like, I want to live someplace without neighbors above, below, or around me. I want trees to be my new best friends. Now, this is a major shift for me. Before ToC, I migrated to metropolises known for their hustle and bustle. Lots of elbowing down crowded sidewalks. Jostling in lines to go to the movies. Bruising battles for a taxi. (In the days before Lyft.) And retail therapy that can save you from rolling off your nut when the stress of whatever professional rodeo you’re competing in becomes too much.

No more. I want to form a life partnership with someone who wants to live in the woods, where walking in nature is our pastime. I figure this change of domicile heart is a tender mercy, because I suspect if it’s not #Covid-19 that puts us in quarantine, there will be another bug come along. One that sets every hair follicle on Dr. Anthony Fauci’s head on fire and has him yelling for me to hot-foot it to the nearest quarantine bunker immediately. I now accept that the only entertainment and human contact in heavily populated areas will be standing in line at Costco or Trader Joe’s, waiting to buy the few grocery items left available because our food supply chains have snapped.

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Of course, there is a challenge in my day and night dream of spending my last days with a new-found love who also wants to escape to the woods. How am I going to meet someone in the ToC, because social distancing has put the kibosh on human intermingling? Of course, there’s always the Costco line. Bound to find a disgruntled geezer there who doesn’t want to spend life’s last days in a bucket of noise and social distancing.

Every cloud has a…

RafifJ, #Malaga, #Spain

Up and down, up and down, that’s how we roll. I know I’m not the only one on the CoronaDays rollercoaster, where we’re all doomsday and negativity one day, and trying to find that silver lining the next.

Today has been a silver lining day for me. Maybe it’s because yesterday I got a long look at the sea. The sea always lifts my spirits and reminds me that nothing is permanent.

Today, was super-productive. I spoke with friends I hadn’t been in touch with for awhile, got caught up on emails, and figured out a good work schedule for next week. I also scrolled through my social media feeds and saw a post that intrigued me.

The author asked members of an expat group if we would make the move to Spain all over again. Beyond the move, would we move to a city, sight unseen?

I thought about the question for a long time. To me, the question went far beyond the immediate “yes” or “no” answer. It wasn’t just about traveling or making a bold (or crazy) residential move. In my silver lining state, I interpreted the question to be more about our willingness to take giant leaps of faith now and then. About our ability to trust the universe. Faith that all would be right with the world, even if takes longer than we think is reasonable.

Finally, I answered: a resounding YES!

Yes, because despite all the uncertainty we’re experiencing, I can see a day After Corona when we create our new “normal.”

Yes, because my silver lining day tells me that we’ve been given time to reflect and renew. It’s up to us to use it.

Maybe it was the sea yesterday. Maybe I’m having a silver lining day because the sun was shining and I could hear birds chirping outside. Whatever the reason, I’m feeling positive. I’m thinking I will only live once, as far as I know, and I should live it to the fullest.

So! At least today, no moping. No irritation at being in lockdown (extended to May 9 in Spain). Today, I’m thinking ahead. Daydreaming about the people I’ll see and the places I’ll visit. The new business ventures I’ll launch. Today, I know that post-corona, anything is possible. Today is my silver lining day.

Coming to terms with my procrastination

Tina F., Fairfax, Virginia

My husband and I were planning to move out of our home this spring. But the #coronavirus has delayed everything. This was a blessing in disguise because I was happy to have more time to get my house organized and ready to sell.

I’m a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to doing things I don’t want to do. The current coronavirus “stay home” order has highlighted this slight flaw in my personality. It really doesn’t matter how much time I have; I will avoid doing certain things.

Organizing my personal items has never been my forte. I have a friend who thrives on organization and even started a business to help others like me get organized. It must be a personality trait that she was born with because she has tried to “help” me without much success.

Now I have been home for four weeks and I think I am still deliberately putting off clearing my clutter and packing. I know I am struggling with the same emotions and anxieties many of you are experiencing in the current state of affairs. I’ve heard from several friends that these uncertain times are rather overwhelming and at times crippling. Some experts equate the current Corona Blues to the feelings associated with grief.

After much analysis of my own, I have come to understand the reason for my current procrastination. Packing and moving means that I will be saying goodbye to the past 16 years of my life. 16 years of living in one place and raising my kids. This is the longest I have lived in the same house. I don’t think I’m mentally ready to make the move.

So is procrastination a crippling anxiety and a way of avoiding the truth? Is it the fear of the unknown? Or is it a hope that somehow it will take care of itself?

As Norma wrote in her blog on Saturday we will move forward after a life-changing event, but to do that, we must go through the present. This present is a double whammy for me. I feel the loss of my old life and the loss associated with an unknown future due to the Corona Blues. I need to get to the other side to be reassured that it will be OK.

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