J/K. We all know what's going on. Lots of crazy shit, is what's going on.
So what can we do about...
...Covid-19? We can wash our hands. Not touch our faces. Social distance like MFRs. DO OUR PATRIOTIC DUTY AND WEAR FACE COVERINGS WHEN OUT IN PUBLIC (and not complain about it, FFS).
...systemic racism? We can educate ourselves. We can listen (and endure our discomfort, if we feel any). We can learn. And we can fight it. Because (and it shouldn't need saying, but it absolutely does): BLACK LIVES MATTER.
I've been reading the excellent So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. Salon calls it "...a generous and empathetic yet usefully blunt guide to confronting and interrogating the many ways race informs prejudices that are reinforced by systems of power in America..." I heartily agree and I'm learning a lot.
...coping? Doods, I don't know. I've kind of shut down in some ways, but then I've been in a rough patch since about mid-2018 (well, since far longer than that but at least I could afford antidepressants until then). On the bright side, I didn't turn to alcohol, I quit smoking (again, in April of this year), and I've been modifying my diet to combat the inevitable weight-gain from smoking cessation and a depression exacerbated by job loss. I'm trying to pull myself out of it, to be productive. Slow and steady wins the race, I suppose. But the going is very slow, indeed.
This violet pretty comes from the OPI Summer Collection: Hidden Prism and is called Feeling Optiprismic bc OPI's punny af and I heart them for it.
How've y'all been doing? How've you been dealing? What stupid shit have you spent your money on to bring a bit of joy into your life? Nosy Goth Moms (Lite) wanna know...
Because that's how I'm feeling...
I'm hanging in there, but the threads are fraying. My life was pretty restrained as it was, but now I don't even have two days of the week at my part-time job to see people and enjoy being surrounded by beautiful things. What do I miss? That job; being able to select my own stuff at the grocery store because being over 65, I'm not going into any places of business and limiting all contact with outsiders to contactless pickups and deliveries; cooking every frickin' meal because my budget doesn't allow frequent restaurant pickups or deliveries (those deliveries always arrive barely warm, which sucks); and having to analyze the danger of whatever errand I have to run (knowing I'm avoiding contact with people) in the off-chance that I run into people who don't GAF about other people's health. What doesn't bother me? WEARING A MASK! Keeping a safe distance from people. Chatting with friends and family via video chat options. Best thing that happened? I have video chats with Jane twice a week now. Yay! And she's helping me with my nutrition and fitness as a test client for her nutrition consulting business. A good, not necessarily fun, thing was being able to have necessary surgery only a month after it had originally been scheduled before 2020 decided to let all hell break loose in the form of COVID-19 and finding out that my diligence had paid off via a "not detected" result for the COVID-19 test that was required to have said surgery. So yeah. I'm okay, but I'm over this and know that it could continue for me for the rest of the year because of my age. Sucks.
ReplyDelete"Sucks" is an apt summary for the first half of 2020, for sure. I'm glad you were able to have your surgery eventually and that you and Jane have been connecting! And I'm amused by your skeptical scare quotes for your Covid-19 "not detected" status. :-)
DeleteWelcome back! Congrats on quitting smoking and the modified diet, and especially doing it in the middle of a friggin pandemic! You are way stronger than I could ever dream of being. I'm one of those people day drinking whenever I want and working on gaining my quarantine 15. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to be productive on top of everything else. Like you said, slow and steady wins the race, especially in the times we are living in right now. Glad you are back :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I put on quarantine/smoke cessation weight in April, so I started working on the diet modification mid-May. I'd *LOVE* to do a bit of day drinking, tbh! :-)
DeleteI'm thrilled that you're back. It's a crazy time for sure, hanging on and like the rest of the world watching with disbelief. I keep spending money on redecorating my abode. Such a silly expenditure when we can't really afford it, but looking at the same four walls, what can I say, I need it to change once in a while. My problem, now I want to actually remodel, you know tear out walls and rebuild. Not going to happen of course, but I keep redesigning like it will. LOL Anything to keep from climbing them... :)
ReplyDeleteLOL! I've been doing retail therapy too, with skincare and makeup. Spending is a way to feel we have some control in times of high stress, I guess...Glad to "see" you again!
Delete