Good morning. Things seem a bit dire at the moment — we are all bracing for another round of severe illness that they are saying will rival the worst wave, there is a delta PLUS variant on deck and no one really knows how we will brave this economic fallout when it’s all over, if that day ever comes. The days of reckoning for many political leaders who continue to abuse the system also feel very far off, which makes it seem like no real punishment is coming, and worse — we will never correct the gaping holes we’ve found in the system.
As uncertain as 2020 felt, I think that we are in a time of even more confusion, as we sit in another holding pattern just waiting for the inevitable fallout. It feels like a good time to talk about all the things we do to keep ourselves in the game and tuned-in when the news seems to offer little hope. It also appears that we have entered the “fake it till you make it” portion of our game show, where contestants compete just to make it through another day…
What do you do over-ride negative thoughts and discouragement? Do you just sink into the nothingness and let the negativity envelop you for a while or do you fight your way out of it? How do you fight your way out of it? I have noticed that when I force myself to do more physically, it helps, but what do we do when we are still recovering from long-term illness and the gyms are not really a safe place yet? What do you focus on to pull yourself back up and keep yourself in the political reform fight?
Leave your suggestions in the comments — you never know who you might help today. (For example: I am working on a new playlist. I love finding new music and you crazy kids seem to enjoy them, so there’s that. ❤️) How do you lift your spirits?
Paid subscriptions and one-time tributes embedded in each article, allow me to keep publishing critical and informative work that is sometimes made available to the public — thank you. If you like this piece and want to support independent journalism further, you can forward this article to others, get a paid subscription or gift subscription, or donate once through the tribute options above. Thank you for your loyalty and ongoing support!
The old adage “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” is never more true than when your physically unable to keep up. I find if I exercise my brain my body stays in the game as well. I’ve done more reading in the last 2 years than I’ve done in my entire life (a very good thing) and the thoughtful voices of others who have insightful things to relay keep me hopeful that the MAJORITY of people are in fact sane and of good will!
Living in a rural area does have it's upside. When I am frazzled, angry, depressed, I feed the wildlife. We have raccoons and groundhogs that let us hand feed them. We have 2 foxes, that come for food and a family of deer who will come when called and the hummingbirds, dozens come to feed at their feeders. So, you might say, I go back to nature. It is calming and with it being so quiet, out here, I can hear their little paws on the walk way. That, in it's self makes me smile and strong enough to face the next episode. Take care of yourselves! We sometimes forget "I" am important, too.
I’ve been working on a couple of projects that are not related to the miserable political miasma I have to breathe (I’m in Kansas remember): a baby quilt for a grandbaby; a new rain garden bed layout (natives to promote pollinators and migratory monarchs) and writing for myself. Still, quotidian dog-walks, listening to “Sisters-In-Law” or “Then and Now” podcasts is how I try to keep the brain scaling to a minimum.
Escapes are hard these days. These are the things I've done to avoid wallowing in the seemingly never-ending Covid pandemic: I've eaten dinner out a few times (outdoors, naturally), and a few weeks ago, I went to my first "in-theatre" movie in almost two years. Given the exponential rise in Delta Variant-related Covid cases, though, I don't think that I'll be doing that again anytime soon. So, what can I continue to do? I am constantly on the hunt for new shows to watch/binge. Recently, I discovered that Epix (the movie channel) has a tv show based on HG Wells' "War of the Worlds". It's intense, relentlessly depressing (hey, it's about earth being invaded; how could it be anything other than depressing?!), but still very well done. Also high on the viewing list? Standup comedy specials. Three favourites are John Mulaney, Anthony Jeselnik (He is seriously twisted. Funny as all hell, but definitely not right in the head!) and Jim Gaffigan, but there are many others. My kids and I (well, the two that are still at home for the time being) are also re-watching all of the Marvel Universe films (in order) as well as the Star Wars films. We have also played many, many board games. If we can't be in the same place, well, that's when Zoom comes into play. Musically, I am returning to my (somewhat misspent) youth and listening to a lot of 90s music. I've found that I now appreciate some of the music that I hated or to which I was indifferent back then. I've also read a LOT of books. I'm very into the "alternative history" genre of books, because my historian background loves to go over the "what ifs" of world history. Currently, however, I'm reading a book called "The Big Year" (there is a wonderful movie based on it, starring Owen Wilson, Steve Martin and Jack Black), about birding, of all things. I'm utterly engrossed by it. The author is Mark Obmascik, for those who are interested in finding it (which isn't easy, because it's out of print!).
Hope that this stream of consciousness reply is somewhat useful to you!
First, let me start off by saying that I'm 70 - I've had the good luck to learn from parents who came of age in the Great Depression, and from a set of grandparents who were caught up in the Red Scare of the early 1950's and Joseph McCarthy infamy. Both situations gave me somewhat of a "platform" or basis for establishing what was what; in other words, if you know how bad something can possibly get, you have some kind of roadmap to get out of it.
I won't bore you with any of the stories that were told on how everyone persevered save to say that what's happening now isn't anywhere as close as what happened from 1929-1953. Imagine: a family losing everything virtually overnight in 1929. 25-30% national unemployment. No safety net - no social security, welfare or other govt programs until FDR created some in 1933-35.
Imagine: a repressive depression that lasted until 1940. Imagine: WWII starting for the U.S. in 1941 and the entire country not knowing until early-to-mid 1944 whether or not we'd be speaking German in the very near future. It was dire, folks.
My Dad and his twin brother (my uncle) signed up on Dec. 8, 1941 and were in Europe in early 1942. My Dad came home in 1946 (he ended up being a platoon leader at the Nuremberg trials in late 1945-46; my uncle never came home and now rests peacefully on that historic cliff in Normandy.
And only a few years after the end of WWII, politicians thought that people from all walks of life in America were conspiring to bring down our country vis a vis Communism. For a few years, Americans turned on other Americans to report them for "possibly" being Communist Party card-holders or sympathizers. You've all heard the story; unfortunately, my grandfather lived it.
He was good friends with many in the art and entertainment world - he was an artist himself. Back in the 1930's, he happened to join up with some people in the American Communist Party to find work. People were desperate for ANY kind of income source back then. Suffice it to say, he was wrongly called out for being a sympathizer in 1951 (the year of my birth) for what he did 17 years prior (which wasn't a crime - and never was considered a crime even in 1951!). It was all political bullshit to make several Republican congressmen look like they were doing something...and we know how that turned out.
So, when I came of age to be able to not only understand, but appreciate what my parents lived through and what my grandparents experienced, it gave me a grounding to not only persevere and keep fighting for whatever I need to at any particular time, but to know that nothing that can happen to me or my family is so dire - save for someone dying - that we can't see past it and work our way out of it.
When we look at the Great Depression, WWII and the Red Scare through the 2021 lens, they all fall out as a continuity narrative. Knowing that everything eventually came out ok discolors the true nature of what those people went through during that quarter century. A lot of people died, got hurt and/or never recovered from the trauma they experienced. But the nation DID in a big way. And I think we should look at that as our historical compass, if you will, for what we're experiencing now.
My wife and I ride bicycles for about 1 hr per day. We stop by the lake to feed the fish by the boat dock. We have about 500 fish that rush up to visit us. Sometimes we see a Green Heron, a Great Blue Heron, Sandhill Cranes, turtles and Turkeys. We're both writing books. Mine is The God Molecule about tRNA, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, ribosome and genetic code evolution. If I thought the US might survive the ongoing Republican fascist coup, this would encourage me.
Since January 1, I've been doing Yoga with Adriene every day. I did her 30-day 'Breath' series, then just kept going, repeating the 30-day cycle at the end of each month. There's something really comforting in repeating the sessions each month, but because it's designed as a complete 30-day class, there's lots of variety. I do it first thing in the morning, before I'm 100% awake. By the time I'm fully conscious, I've taken in lots of oxygen, moved my body, and metaphorically swept the cobwebs from my mind. It doesn't fix everything, but it does seem to help me manage my feelings better. And my hamstrings/hip flexors are the loosest they've ever been, so that's something. Also: Her dog Benji warms my heart. https://yogawithadriene.com/breath-a-30-day-yoga-journey/
I have really struggled with anger and depression these last few years but I just signed up to be a part of the political redistricting efforts in my state. I am hoping that being a part of the change will keep me from feeling so utterly helpless.
Amee, thank you for the gentle reminder that we are all in this together. There is a lot of fear, anxiety and frustration in all of our lives now. I've learned to limit my consumption of political news over the past 6 months. What that means for me is breaking my daily twitter habit, not watching full episodes of Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes, or Lawrence O'Donnell. Instead, I listen to podcasts like NYTimes "The Daily" or "This American Life." At night when my thoughts are racing and first thing every morning before getting out of bed, I listen to at least one guided meditation on insighttimer.com. It's a great app for your mental and physical well-being. There are thousands of teachers, meditations, music, live events and yoga to choose from. This app has soothed my soul for the past 4 years, especially the last 18 months. Daily walks with my dog in a nearby woods also keep me sane and balanced. Watching the wildlife in my yard-squirrels, deer, nesting finches and the birds enjoying themselves and each other in a small birdbath always grounds me. Finally, planting beautiful flowers, shrubs, herbs and trees in my yard (without wwusing any chemical fertilizers or pesticides) and watching everything flourish-including the increased presence of butterflies, birds and bees, makes me feel that I'm helping wildlife while also helping to lift the spirits of my neighbors as they look out their windows or walk by the house. We are all in this together.
I noticed a while ago that when we spent time together with friends, we talked endlessly about our health problems.
So I introduced the rule that everybody had five minutes to speak about their (or their mother in law’s) healthproblems and then we would switch to more interesting topics.
We had great conversations since that rule was introduced.
Plants and more plants succulents to be exact. Plant therapy = the smartest thing I’ve done since covid…and in case you wanna see ☺️ instagram @totallysuccs_
I'd been struggling to balance teaching summer classes out of a small apartment an hour and a half away from where we'd just purchased a house. My wife works for her family's regional newspaper and a house out in her territory made sense. I decided to keep the apartment near my school. Lots of back and forth driving, mostly through Deep Red rural West Texas, dodging the gigantic Trump-flagged pick-ups of the regions plague bearers. After a nighttime caravan trip back out to the new house the Friday before July 4th, my wife wife suddenly stopped her car just as she was pulling into the driveway. I wasn't sure what she was doing, but then I saw it-- this little dark silhouette awkwardly bouncing toward my wife's car. She got out and scooped it up! I pulled up next the house to better see what was happening. She was holding the teeniest little black kitten who quickly revealed its little white toes. I looked toward the front porch and spotted a little white kitten curled up next to a planter. There was a piece of bread on the steps, too. We took them inside and made a thorough sweep around the yards to make sure there were just the two.
I spent the rest of the night with them, keeping them warm and as comfortable as I could until I could resolve their food situation. That took some doing the next morning in the little village we lived in. The feedlot just happened to sell kitten formula so that was a score. They really perked up after they ate The black one was touch and go for a bit. But we all pulled through! The black one clearly had some kind of eye infection but he was really good spirits. We estimated them to be about 5-weeks old based on their size and what we could glean from websites about behavior.
My stepson had just conscripted an older neighborhood stray kitten the week before and she didn't much care for the tiny interlopers now in her kingdom. It was agreed that I would take the kittens back to the apartment near my college. They could live there without angering the newly established monarchy. I was finally able to get them into a vet for a check up and better advice as these little guys were a lot younger than any kittens I'd had experience with. It turns out they were 8 weeks old, not 5! My most important job was to get them up to weight, making sure they ate plenty and had lots of exercise. Aside from a new round of sinus infections and antibiotics, they're really healthy! And happy. And affectionate. It turns out my in-laws knew *nothing* about kittens as they were completely wrong about who was a boy and who was a girl. We have one of each. The calico, Eartha Kitten, and her tuxedo brother Newmar own this apartment now and I couldn't be happier with my fuzzy new roommates. It turned out to be not such a terrible summer after all, aside from the mass quantities of Neosporin I've had to buy. For being so soft and cuddly they sure are sharp.
I found myself sinking into depression after sugeries and during recovery. To fight that I made art, or wrote articles for local paper. As my recovery improved, I dove deeper into nature - which makes sense as I live in an area that is much less populous & has LOTS of green space. I walk. I bird watch, I do wahtever it takes to engage a different part of my brain. I also left social media which helped tremendously. The daily grind of reading on FB or Twitter was a significant drain on my energy and all around vibe. As far as politics.... I would love to see true justice served. My expectations of such are not high. Yeah, but every day I try to enrich my surroundings in some way that reinforces my desire to live an artful life.
I try to exercise, do meditation with the Insight app, and hang out with the dogs. It is hard to keep my mind focused some days.
I decided to take the jump in January and start working towards completing my Masters degree again. A few weeks into the first semester, my husband tested positive for COVID. Pretty certain he was exposed at work because we didn't go anywhere and I've been working from home. Three days later, I tested positive. Fortunately the illness wasn't severe and we both recovered. However, it has left both of us with long-haul fatigue, brain fog, headaches, and the unappealing smell of sewage from some foods that I used to love.
That was followed by the sudden illness of our dog of eleven years. A normally healthy girl who was suddenly diagnosed with a rapid progressing cancer which took her life three weeks later. Then our cat had to be euthanized a few months after due to heart failure. Did I mention this was all while being the sole caregiver for my elderly mom, keeping her safe during a pandemic and my illness, and navigating the madness of society and politics?
Anyway, it is hard to focus and decompress. Even though I know what I should do, I often fall down that rabbit hole of social media and end up scrolling and posting anti-Trump GOP stories when I should be studying, exercising, meditating, cleaning up dog poop in the backyard, or anything constructive. Sometimes, I just put headphones on and listen to angry 90s grunge music. A regular appointment with my therapist always pulls me back to normalcy, whatever that is.
In addition to teaching and writing non-fiction, I also write fiction. The fiction takes me away (like Calgon) to a universe I can control. I write about family secrets, extraordinary abilities, truth, justice, and redemption. I don't make a living on it, I do make a bad moment or day better by having a place to run away to. Reading can do the same and I read a lot.
The old adage “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” is never more true than when your physically unable to keep up. I find if I exercise my brain my body stays in the game as well. I’ve done more reading in the last 2 years than I’ve done in my entire life (a very good thing) and the thoughtful voices of others who have insightful things to relay keep me hopeful that the MAJORITY of people are in fact sane and of good will!
Living in a rural area does have it's upside. When I am frazzled, angry, depressed, I feed the wildlife. We have raccoons and groundhogs that let us hand feed them. We have 2 foxes, that come for food and a family of deer who will come when called and the hummingbirds, dozens come to feed at their feeders. So, you might say, I go back to nature. It is calming and with it being so quiet, out here, I can hear their little paws on the walk way. That, in it's self makes me smile and strong enough to face the next episode. Take care of yourselves! We sometimes forget "I" am important, too.
I’ve been working on a couple of projects that are not related to the miserable political miasma I have to breathe (I’m in Kansas remember): a baby quilt for a grandbaby; a new rain garden bed layout (natives to promote pollinators and migratory monarchs) and writing for myself. Still, quotidian dog-walks, listening to “Sisters-In-Law” or “Then and Now” podcasts is how I try to keep the brain scaling to a minimum.
Escapes are hard these days. These are the things I've done to avoid wallowing in the seemingly never-ending Covid pandemic: I've eaten dinner out a few times (outdoors, naturally), and a few weeks ago, I went to my first "in-theatre" movie in almost two years. Given the exponential rise in Delta Variant-related Covid cases, though, I don't think that I'll be doing that again anytime soon. So, what can I continue to do? I am constantly on the hunt for new shows to watch/binge. Recently, I discovered that Epix (the movie channel) has a tv show based on HG Wells' "War of the Worlds". It's intense, relentlessly depressing (hey, it's about earth being invaded; how could it be anything other than depressing?!), but still very well done. Also high on the viewing list? Standup comedy specials. Three favourites are John Mulaney, Anthony Jeselnik (He is seriously twisted. Funny as all hell, but definitely not right in the head!) and Jim Gaffigan, but there are many others. My kids and I (well, the two that are still at home for the time being) are also re-watching all of the Marvel Universe films (in order) as well as the Star Wars films. We have also played many, many board games. If we can't be in the same place, well, that's when Zoom comes into play. Musically, I am returning to my (somewhat misspent) youth and listening to a lot of 90s music. I've found that I now appreciate some of the music that I hated or to which I was indifferent back then. I've also read a LOT of books. I'm very into the "alternative history" genre of books, because my historian background loves to go over the "what ifs" of world history. Currently, however, I'm reading a book called "The Big Year" (there is a wonderful movie based on it, starring Owen Wilson, Steve Martin and Jack Black), about birding, of all things. I'm utterly engrossed by it. The author is Mark Obmascik, for those who are interested in finding it (which isn't easy, because it's out of print!).
Hope that this stream of consciousness reply is somewhat useful to you!
First, let me start off by saying that I'm 70 - I've had the good luck to learn from parents who came of age in the Great Depression, and from a set of grandparents who were caught up in the Red Scare of the early 1950's and Joseph McCarthy infamy. Both situations gave me somewhat of a "platform" or basis for establishing what was what; in other words, if you know how bad something can possibly get, you have some kind of roadmap to get out of it.
I won't bore you with any of the stories that were told on how everyone persevered save to say that what's happening now isn't anywhere as close as what happened from 1929-1953. Imagine: a family losing everything virtually overnight in 1929. 25-30% national unemployment. No safety net - no social security, welfare or other govt programs until FDR created some in 1933-35.
Imagine: a repressive depression that lasted until 1940. Imagine: WWII starting for the U.S. in 1941 and the entire country not knowing until early-to-mid 1944 whether or not we'd be speaking German in the very near future. It was dire, folks.
My Dad and his twin brother (my uncle) signed up on Dec. 8, 1941 and were in Europe in early 1942. My Dad came home in 1946 (he ended up being a platoon leader at the Nuremberg trials in late 1945-46; my uncle never came home and now rests peacefully on that historic cliff in Normandy.
And only a few years after the end of WWII, politicians thought that people from all walks of life in America were conspiring to bring down our country vis a vis Communism. For a few years, Americans turned on other Americans to report them for "possibly" being Communist Party card-holders or sympathizers. You've all heard the story; unfortunately, my grandfather lived it.
He was good friends with many in the art and entertainment world - he was an artist himself. Back in the 1930's, he happened to join up with some people in the American Communist Party to find work. People were desperate for ANY kind of income source back then. Suffice it to say, he was wrongly called out for being a sympathizer in 1951 (the year of my birth) for what he did 17 years prior (which wasn't a crime - and never was considered a crime even in 1951!). It was all political bullshit to make several Republican congressmen look like they were doing something...and we know how that turned out.
So, when I came of age to be able to not only understand, but appreciate what my parents lived through and what my grandparents experienced, it gave me a grounding to not only persevere and keep fighting for whatever I need to at any particular time, but to know that nothing that can happen to me or my family is so dire - save for someone dying - that we can't see past it and work our way out of it.
When we look at the Great Depression, WWII and the Red Scare through the 2021 lens, they all fall out as a continuity narrative. Knowing that everything eventually came out ok discolors the true nature of what those people went through during that quarter century. A lot of people died, got hurt and/or never recovered from the trauma they experienced. But the nation DID in a big way. And I think we should look at that as our historical compass, if you will, for what we're experiencing now.
My wife and I ride bicycles for about 1 hr per day. We stop by the lake to feed the fish by the boat dock. We have about 500 fish that rush up to visit us. Sometimes we see a Green Heron, a Great Blue Heron, Sandhill Cranes, turtles and Turkeys. We're both writing books. Mine is The God Molecule about tRNA, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, ribosome and genetic code evolution. If I thought the US might survive the ongoing Republican fascist coup, this would encourage me.
Since January 1, I've been doing Yoga with Adriene every day. I did her 30-day 'Breath' series, then just kept going, repeating the 30-day cycle at the end of each month. There's something really comforting in repeating the sessions each month, but because it's designed as a complete 30-day class, there's lots of variety. I do it first thing in the morning, before I'm 100% awake. By the time I'm fully conscious, I've taken in lots of oxygen, moved my body, and metaphorically swept the cobwebs from my mind. It doesn't fix everything, but it does seem to help me manage my feelings better. And my hamstrings/hip flexors are the loosest they've ever been, so that's something. Also: Her dog Benji warms my heart. https://yogawithadriene.com/breath-a-30-day-yoga-journey/
I have really struggled with anger and depression these last few years but I just signed up to be a part of the political redistricting efforts in my state. I am hoping that being a part of the change will keep me from feeling so utterly helpless.
Amee, thank you for the gentle reminder that we are all in this together. There is a lot of fear, anxiety and frustration in all of our lives now. I've learned to limit my consumption of political news over the past 6 months. What that means for me is breaking my daily twitter habit, not watching full episodes of Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes, or Lawrence O'Donnell. Instead, I listen to podcasts like NYTimes "The Daily" or "This American Life." At night when my thoughts are racing and first thing every morning before getting out of bed, I listen to at least one guided meditation on insighttimer.com. It's a great app for your mental and physical well-being. There are thousands of teachers, meditations, music, live events and yoga to choose from. This app has soothed my soul for the past 4 years, especially the last 18 months. Daily walks with my dog in a nearby woods also keep me sane and balanced. Watching the wildlife in my yard-squirrels, deer, nesting finches and the birds enjoying themselves and each other in a small birdbath always grounds me. Finally, planting beautiful flowers, shrubs, herbs and trees in my yard (without wwusing any chemical fertilizers or pesticides) and watching everything flourish-including the increased presence of butterflies, birds and bees, makes me feel that I'm helping wildlife while also helping to lift the spirits of my neighbors as they look out their windows or walk by the house. We are all in this together.
I noticed a while ago that when we spent time together with friends, we talked endlessly about our health problems.
So I introduced the rule that everybody had five minutes to speak about their (or their mother in law’s) healthproblems and then we would switch to more interesting topics.
We had great conversations since that rule was introduced.
Eat (too much eating!)
Anything outside - when it isn’t 90º+ (Texas🥵)
Plants and more plants succulents to be exact. Plant therapy = the smartest thing I’ve done since covid…and in case you wanna see ☺️ instagram @totallysuccs_
I'd been struggling to balance teaching summer classes out of a small apartment an hour and a half away from where we'd just purchased a house. My wife works for her family's regional newspaper and a house out in her territory made sense. I decided to keep the apartment near my school. Lots of back and forth driving, mostly through Deep Red rural West Texas, dodging the gigantic Trump-flagged pick-ups of the regions plague bearers. After a nighttime caravan trip back out to the new house the Friday before July 4th, my wife wife suddenly stopped her car just as she was pulling into the driveway. I wasn't sure what she was doing, but then I saw it-- this little dark silhouette awkwardly bouncing toward my wife's car. She got out and scooped it up! I pulled up next the house to better see what was happening. She was holding the teeniest little black kitten who quickly revealed its little white toes. I looked toward the front porch and spotted a little white kitten curled up next to a planter. There was a piece of bread on the steps, too. We took them inside and made a thorough sweep around the yards to make sure there were just the two.
I spent the rest of the night with them, keeping them warm and as comfortable as I could until I could resolve their food situation. That took some doing the next morning in the little village we lived in. The feedlot just happened to sell kitten formula so that was a score. They really perked up after they ate The black one was touch and go for a bit. But we all pulled through! The black one clearly had some kind of eye infection but he was really good spirits. We estimated them to be about 5-weeks old based on their size and what we could glean from websites about behavior.
My stepson had just conscripted an older neighborhood stray kitten the week before and she didn't much care for the tiny interlopers now in her kingdom. It was agreed that I would take the kittens back to the apartment near my college. They could live there without angering the newly established monarchy. I was finally able to get them into a vet for a check up and better advice as these little guys were a lot younger than any kittens I'd had experience with. It turns out they were 8 weeks old, not 5! My most important job was to get them up to weight, making sure they ate plenty and had lots of exercise. Aside from a new round of sinus infections and antibiotics, they're really healthy! And happy. And affectionate. It turns out my in-laws knew *nothing* about kittens as they were completely wrong about who was a boy and who was a girl. We have one of each. The calico, Eartha Kitten, and her tuxedo brother Newmar own this apartment now and I couldn't be happier with my fuzzy new roommates. It turned out to be not such a terrible summer after all, aside from the mass quantities of Neosporin I've had to buy. For being so soft and cuddly they sure are sharp.
I found myself sinking into depression after sugeries and during recovery. To fight that I made art, or wrote articles for local paper. As my recovery improved, I dove deeper into nature - which makes sense as I live in an area that is much less populous & has LOTS of green space. I walk. I bird watch, I do wahtever it takes to engage a different part of my brain. I also left social media which helped tremendously. The daily grind of reading on FB or Twitter was a significant drain on my energy and all around vibe. As far as politics.... I would love to see true justice served. My expectations of such are not high. Yeah, but every day I try to enrich my surroundings in some way that reinforces my desire to live an artful life.
I try to exercise, do meditation with the Insight app, and hang out with the dogs. It is hard to keep my mind focused some days.
I decided to take the jump in January and start working towards completing my Masters degree again. A few weeks into the first semester, my husband tested positive for COVID. Pretty certain he was exposed at work because we didn't go anywhere and I've been working from home. Three days later, I tested positive. Fortunately the illness wasn't severe and we both recovered. However, it has left both of us with long-haul fatigue, brain fog, headaches, and the unappealing smell of sewage from some foods that I used to love.
That was followed by the sudden illness of our dog of eleven years. A normally healthy girl who was suddenly diagnosed with a rapid progressing cancer which took her life three weeks later. Then our cat had to be euthanized a few months after due to heart failure. Did I mention this was all while being the sole caregiver for my elderly mom, keeping her safe during a pandemic and my illness, and navigating the madness of society and politics?
Anyway, it is hard to focus and decompress. Even though I know what I should do, I often fall down that rabbit hole of social media and end up scrolling and posting anti-Trump GOP stories when I should be studying, exercising, meditating, cleaning up dog poop in the backyard, or anything constructive. Sometimes, I just put headphones on and listen to angry 90s grunge music. A regular appointment with my therapist always pulls me back to normalcy, whatever that is.
In addition to teaching and writing non-fiction, I also write fiction. The fiction takes me away (like Calgon) to a universe I can control. I write about family secrets, extraordinary abilities, truth, justice, and redemption. I don't make a living on it, I do make a bad moment or day better by having a place to run away to. Reading can do the same and I read a lot.