Monday, May 25, 2020

Blogging In The Age Of Corona

It's Monday and in the old days, aka before the you know what, Mondays on my blog meant a weekend recap. I think I'm gonna need someone to define weekend, because isn't every day the weekend now? This particular Monday is also a holiday, but there's no parade, no backyard barbecue where everybody brings a dish, no music played a little too loud or team cornhole happening on the driveway.

Weekends used to mean a dock full of our best pals, dinner at the neighbor's house, a boat ride to the local hangout where we were sure to meet up with friends and likely make a few new ones along the way. Now it's me and the hubs, porch sitting, dog walking, coffee drinking, talking about all manner of everything under the sun but quite often circling back around to how strange everything feels and what to do about that.

How does one blog in the age of Corona? How do you write about static?

My blog has always been what I affectionately describe as a 'slice of life'. That's my niche. My wheelhouse. The extraordinary ordinary of everyday life. Observations about the people I live with and those who cross my path. My role as mother-daughter-wife-sister-friend. The times we're living in, the wider world, and my place in it.

Right now it feels like we all have tunnel vision and are staring down this one big thing that we can't seem to get through or go around or climb over, and how do you keep writing about that? Do I want to keep writing about that? I can't not write about that, can I?

I don't know that I'll need this blog to help me remember this weird season, but ten years of blogging has taught me that reading something written in real time weeks, months, or even years later brings perspective and validity to the memory.

So here's what I've observed lately...

For all our pining about how we don't like change, turns out we kinda do. We may fear it a little and wobble some before finding our new footing, but change propels us in new directions and that's a good thing. Or at least a different thing and we want different. All of this stay at home all day every day business has shown us we don't want same old same old. We don't want every day to look like the one before.

Yes we wanted a less busy calendar, but not a blank one. Yes we wanted a break from all the going and doing, but it's not a break if it lasts forever. Yes we wanted time to step back from the crazy and re-evaluate priorities, figure out what's truly important, but then we need to step back in and act on what we've learned. And yes we might love to make dinner for our family but not absolutely positively every single night, plus every breakfast, lunch and snack too, am I right?

Yes I'm right.

It's hard right now to see how we ever get back to where we once were in terms of activity, interaction, and community but I suppose like most things it will be a process. One day I'll read back on this blog post and remember a long season of being at home.

I'll remember slow starts to the morning.

Books read on the porch without an ounce of guilt.

So much meal planning and intentional shopping.

Using what's in the frig.

Substituting this for that because that was nowhere to be found.

All the cooking. Have mercy there was a lot of cooking.

Church on the computer.

Zoom calls with family and friends.

Missing people being close enough to touch.

Completing projects we finally found time for.

Disappointment.

Kindness.

Wearing a mask.

Not going anywhere and not really minding too much except when we did.

Blogging in the age of Corona is not so different than blogging in the time before. Like all the seasons I've written my way through I know this one too will look a bit different when viewed through the lens of hindsight.

Looking forward to getting there.
I think?

A part of me wonders if it's possible not to go all the way back to where we were? To just go some of the way back?  To retain some of the low key-quiet-just us sitting on the porch because we feel like it- way of living?

Guess we'll find out.

7 comments:

  1. I love this post! You very eloquently said what I've been thinking. We always describe ourselves as "homebodies". But this enforced "stay home" has shown us that we really aren't. Usually at this time of the year we are at a baseball game two or three days a week, a track meet once a week, bowling on Saturdays, We have dance recitals and spring concerts... and on and on. I'm missing all of that. But this too, shall pass... won't it?

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  2. I think, Joyce, that you have captured in words what we would all like to say. Thank you for that. I just read Shannon's blog about their first adventure out in the open in S. Korea. That is ahead for us, too, let's hope!!

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  3. You've captured it so well. I too long for some change which is supposedly coming here, but slowly. Part of me also fears it. Rightly or wrongly I have watched programmes about how this virus can affect people and how long recovery can take if you are badly affected. I've seen and heard how hard it has been for the staff on the frontline. I do not want to end up there. I think it will be a long time before we are anywhere close to feeling normal and it will be a new normal. Particularly here in London which was always so busy. Many people have coped with working from home and I think a great deal of them will continue to do so. Perhaps when a safe vaccine is developed things will get more like normal but until then we have to adapt to these changes. Hopefully it won't be too much longer before we can see our loved ones again in person rather than on a screen.

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  4. I agree, things like 9/11 and something like this will always be in our memories without blogging about it but we have to blog about it it because it is what are life is about right now. Your list is absolutely perfect. You hit the nail on the head! I think it could be a long time before we are ever close to being back and I think the habit of sanitizing is going to be around a lot more.

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  5. I'm commenting on your blog posts out of the order in which you have posted them, but (for me, anyway) my timing is just part of this scattered feeling that's come with COVID.

    You have such a gift for putting into words what we are feeling (certainly for me, anyway). I love it that you say things I can't seem to quite express, and in such a winsome way. This helps me know I'm not losing my mind.

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  6. Hi Joyce.....we don't know one another personally, but I feel I know you through your lovely blog and through Tim's posts of your beautiful family. This particular blog just jumped out at me. Did you ever read ...'Going on a Bear Hunt' to your children when they were young? It was one of our favorites :) . I have thought about that title SO MANY times through this "event". We can't go over it....we can't go under it...we just have to go straight through it! With all the mud, scary scenarios, wind, rain and anything else this CoVid19 throws at us...we just have to go right through the middle of it. And I agree with you so much when you say maybe we just go "halfway back". It has been good to STOP & realize exactly what my/our priorities should be as a family. And for some strange reason, not sitting in church, but tuning in each Sunday morning to listen, sing & partake of communion (from home in PJs) helped me to feel even closer to God and His loving arms. It feels good to read it in your blog about going "halfway back". At this point, I am still heavily quarantined due to underlying health conditions. My son and his new wife drive to our home, park in front, sit on the sidewalk and talk to us as we sit up on our porch. (NOT my idea....his!!) He's currently working at Vanderbilt in research.....and his project changed in March from the seasonal flu to CoVid19. He says he will not allow me to be within 15 feet of him for a year. He just found out this week that he's been accepted to med school. (long journey) When they drove up this week and parked, I bounded off the porch to hug him....and you would have thought he was trying to escape from a Copperhead. He leapt backward and said,..."Stop. I'd rather have you in my life for these upcoming events....white coat day, grandchildren etc. and no hug can top all of that, Mom". Tim always links us to your blog and I just wanted to say this one has been especially helpful & poetic. I will continue to ponder and take many good lessons from it. I hope you, Tim and your children/grandchildren are all well. I get to see beautiful pictures of them when they are posted! Many blessings to you and yours...and just enjoy that glass of wine sitting outside....and maybe have an extra :) Gretchen

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