Day 3

Tuesday 17th March

From the moment I woke up this morning I felt raring to go, excited about all the things I can do over the next few weeks. I’ve realised that this quarantine period is a gift, an opportunity to indulge my whims and focus on whatever I want to focus on without external pressures or distractions.

I got dressed and took a run down to the bins in the street with my bag of rubbish (a permitted activity) and on the way I passed a neighbour. I found myself saying to her with a grin “I really hope they don’t call this quarantine thing off early, I have far too much to do!” The street was completely deserted. Seizing the opportunity to blow off a few cobwebs I ran a few laps of the communal garage and then two circuits of the swimming pool area on the way back to my apartment, before treating myself to a large spoonful of peanut butter. Then I sat down and did some writing.

I honestly don’t know how the world would have coped with lockdown before all this wonderful modern technology. I’m in constant contact with my family in the UK via Whatsapp and Facetime, I’m keeping in touch with friends via Facebook and Instagram and news updates come at me from all angles. Even though we may be alone we are still all connected, all sharing information, experiences, jokes, memes and messages of positivity. The best thing I’ve heard today came from actress Michelle Gomez via Instagram as she read out a, now viral, passage attributed to Kitty O’Meara:

And the people stayed home. And they read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And they listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.

And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live, and they healed the earth fully, as they had been healed.

https://the-daily-round.com/2020/03/16/in-the-time-of-pandemic/

Gomez’ fireside reading of the passage is here, unfortunately cut off by the Instagram one minute limit on videos but beautiful nonetheless:

View this post on Instagram

Fireside chats. #globalreset

A post shared by Michelle (@michellegomezofficial) on Mar 17, 2020 at 7:57am PDT

Another wonderful thing made possible only by technology is that my fitness classes are continuing online! I took my first online class this evening, working out in the comfort of my own home without breaking quarantine! There were a few teething troubles as the stream cut out a few times and the audio wasn’t always clear. There was some fumbling with devices and switching between apps to see which worked best. I kicked the sofa a couple of times and slipped on a rug,… but I got my workout and I feel much better for it!

I followed the class with a quick run around the pool area and a hot shower, then I caught up on my social media feeds and settled down at my computer to do some writing.