Tag / quarantine

by Janet

Unanswered Questions

What is this “uneasiness” I’ve been feeling lately?

What am I doing differently at the moment, since the (unofficial) quarantine started? What is it that I miss? What do I think I need?

Is it possible that this “time out” is stirring something inside of me, causing me to reevaluate my priorities, reassess my goals, and—more importantly—think about my future? Or my present?

Is that, perhaps, what all of us are supposed to be doing right now?

I started asking myself questions because I can’t shake the feelings I’ve been having lately. I’m not going to label the emotions, or the moods—let’s just say that I’m not myself these days.

As I was writing down questions, I couldn’t help but see the similarities to child rearing—or discipline. Kids are put on a “time out” when they won’t stop misbehaving. Whether or not they take that time to think about what they’ve done… well… that’s another story.

Is that what we should be doing? Thinking about what we’ve done?

That’s a pretty wild assumption but I mean, honestly, when you REALLY think about it, isn’t it the most bizarre thing EVER to think (or realize) that the whole WORLD is on a time out? All around the globe, we’re all in the same predicament. For the most part. Has that ever happened before?

Have we been given this time out so we have time to think? About what? And of course… we have my favorite questions of all:

What can I learn from this? What is this experience teaching me?

I don’t know. I have plenty of questions and no answers. Yet. But it’s possible there WAS a takeaway today.

I really DID quiet myself.

Maybe being quiet is the start… the beginning of wisdom.

No walking today. Just some schoolwork… and the quiet.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Strawberries
by Janet

A Good Harvest

Today was a beautiful day.

It felt like summer this morning so I took my walk early. I wanted my energy level to be high. Exercise seems to be the “in” thing right now because there were people everywhere. Walking, jogging, cycling… I was constantly zigzagging across streets, making sure to stay 6 feet away. How weird that feels! I try to acknowledge everyone—offering a smile, a wave, or a friendly “hello”—just to let them know I’m not trying to be avoidant. Or rude.

Still no photographs from the streets. I ordered a super lightweight backpack to carry my water, camera, and music… so after Saturday I’m ready to rock and roll. Now let’s hope for some good photo-ops!

And if not, that’s alright too. On my walk… I realized that I’ve got to stop building these expectations. That’s what the problem has been.

I need to Just BE. Just ENJOY.
Stop thinking and worrying about plans… and Just DO.

Things are as they are, we suffer because we imagined different.

That’s about all for now, thanks for reading!

Walk Stats: 3.46 Miles / 1 Hour, 19 Minutes / 8,484 Steps

About the Image: My mood was so elevated after soaking in all of that sunshine that I roamed the backyard to see what I could share. I’ve been watching these hanging strawberries and this afternoon they were begging for a selfie.

Beach Walkers
by Janet

Dieter’s Journal #2

Dear Diary,

I was going to write about my New Lifestyle, New Me project, but I think the Quarantine is taking the lead. I was convinced that it wasn’t affecting me, but now I’m starting to think I’ve been in denial. I took my walk just before the sun went down, because I wanted to spring clean first (still working on that). My energy level was so LOW that my walk became a stroll, and it didn’t lift my spirits whatsoever. I don’t venture too far off and it’s like the same old same old at every corner. Been there, done that.

It feels like I have depression or something (and I’m guessing that because I’ve never really been depressed). Absolutely NOTHING excited me today. Maybe I’m in need of some dopamine. Or oxytocin. Maybe they went on strike when I started badmouthing rewards.

I Googled “things to do during the quarantine” to see if there was anything that I hadn’t thought of already. One suggestion was to “text all of your exes in case you want to get something off your chest.” Ha! Thanks but no thanks. Although… ?

I think the problem is that everything is melding together. I hardly know what day it is anymore, and everything I want to start gets brushed aside because… well… it’s just not a good time to start anything right now. Mornings feel like night, and nights feel like day. There’s no structure. Not that I enjoy structure—I’m a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl—but it would be nice to have some kind of routine.

Maybe that’s what I’ll work on; I’ll create a routine! (felt a rush of dopamine right there).

Anyway, I’m thankful that I got out there even though I wasn’t in the mood. Let’s hope for a better tomorrow. Thanks for listening.

Walk Stats: 1.45 Miles / 33 Minutes / 3,514 Steps

The image isn’t from today, I’m still trying to figure out how to walk with it. I took this photo on one of my beach trips (which I could really use right about now!). I love the fact that the two women are really into their conversation. It made me think that maybe I’d like a walking partner. It would be so cool to have someone to talk to on my walks. Note to Self: Look into that when the restrictions are over.