The best of it

How has your life, and way of living in general, changed since “Lockdown Life” began a year ago? Are there parts of your life that have changed for the better? Anything that will stick, even when life gets back to “normal”?

by Dietrich

“Lockdown life” has left many of us feeling isolated and dispirited. Yet the question asks if there are aspects that have changed life for the better? 

I always make time to write, but I’ve also found extra time to put paint on canvas. I’ve learned some new guitar licks and even tried some new recipes.

There’s plenty to do while being housebound, from watching audience-free productions of some of my favorite late-night shows to binge-watching on Netflix, Prime Video and Youtube. And I can fill the house with all the tunes I care to hear on Spotify.

I admire the creativity of others during these times, like the anonymous Stockport, UK person(s), who keep their neighbors smiling by creating scenes using two giant plush bears “The Moor Bears” doing various chores in their front yard. 

Streaming performances keep popping up online, and some major art galleries and museums have digitized their collections. Check out New York’s MoMA, the Louvre, the Guggenheim, or the National Gallery, London. And why not take a digital stroll of the Great Wall of China, or catch the view from the Eiffel Tower?  

Time has allowed me to almost catch up on that stack of books that never seemed to go down. Usually, I add to the stack at a rate faster than I can read them, but during these times, I might just catch up.

With a winter in the Pacific northwest that felt like spring, we’ve been getting out on the many trails around home, often for hours at a time, getting into some green therapy. And we’ve taken the time to explore new trails and places close to home.

Is there anything that will stick when life gets back to normal? Well, the reading and hiking, but like most people, my social life has taken a hit, and I do miss getting together with family and friends. And I miss traveling too, and there’s organizing Noir at the Bar events and getting together with my writer friends. But, everything will be back to “normal” soon enough.

Meantime I’ll count the pluses, like not having to wear a mask while I’m indoors. And there are no bar tabs, fewer cars on the road, more parking spots, and cleaner air.

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I was very saddened like everybody here to get the news Monday morning that Paul had passed away. A talented writer and a supportive friend, he will be greatly missed. My thoughts are with his family.