Do you get the feeling that as the days pass during this lockdown, this quarantine and social distancing that we’ve been in, time seems to have sped up? It’s as if each day ends almost as soon as it begins. While staying at home all day, every day, I’ve had plenty of time to workout, go on longer runs and more walks, absolutely not watch Tiger King, and get caught up on some Netflix and Amazon shows. And drink and write more (as I’m writing this very sentence, I’m drinking whiskey like a proper writer). I also promised myself to read more books and play my guitar more. But failed to do either of those.
However, I have exercised more, and started writing again. This blog website is proof of that. I know many of us tell ourselves that if we just had more time, more opportunity to get those special projects done, we would be churning out achievements faster than NCIS or Criminal Minds can spit out new episodes. I’m sure we all started out with these good intentions.
Such as:
-Getting your body beach ready with a crazy workout schedule, but then very soon after realize, like everyone else, that donuts exist.
-Painting the house.
-Building a backyard catapult (who doesn’t want one of those?).
-Crocheting a Tardis blanket.
-Actually doing the laundry.
-Learning to cook some new, amazing meals because you’ve seen so many cooking shows. Now’s your time to shine in the kitchen and show your spouse or significant other that your cooking skills would make Gordon Ramsay jizz his pants! But you end up just putting taquitos in the microwave instead, and calling it done.
But despite our earnestly good intentions, we end up doing this:
-Constructing a World War One trench system around the house to keep out the toilet paper hoarders.
-Rearranging the furniture because you’ve been meaning to do it for months, then realizing you don’t like the new arrangement, moving the furniture again, and then again, and again, until you’ve made a couch/chair/nightstand fort in the corner of the living room while your only source of light is a Coleman lantern.
-Creating a science lab in the garage to determine if in fact, the answer to the world’s most burning question, is whether or not a Twinkie can be used as an explosive.
-Staring at the teetering mountain of grungy dishes in the sink, doing your best attempt at a Jedi Mind Trick to get them to wash themselves.
-Drinking
-Wondering if the aging, moldy leftovers in the back of the fridge, possibly leftover from the Korean War, would give you superpowers if ingested.
Lately it’s felt like time is hurtling faster and faster. It’s as if I’m sitting inside the Millenium Falcon as it heads to light speed, the days streaking passed me, stretched and blurred just like the stars outside the cockpit window. With each rapidly passing day, I feel like I’ve failed to do something productive or meaningful. One more book left unread, one more page left unwritten, one more guitar piece left unlearned, one more pizza left uneaten (only kidding, never leave a pizza behind!). You get the idea. It’s hard to not feel guilty when we have the time to accomplish things, but end up scrolling FriendFace, Instracram, and Chitter while binge watching YouTube tutorials on primitive hut construction instead.
And of course, making sure that absolutely no pizza and tacos get left unattended. Remember that in this difficult time…to think of the tacos. **Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” begins playing the background**
I’m here to tell you right now, as much as I’m also telling myself, that you are not required to be productive. Do not feel any form of guilt. These days are unprecedented in recent history. None of us have experienced this before. What you and I need to do above all else is to just live. Get through your day as best and safely as you can. If that includes building a sofa-sized Lego Star Destroyer, then create your ultimate weapon against the Rebel Alliance! If your day includes relaxing in the garden, or on the couch (next to your Lego Star Destroyer) as you read or watch TV, that’s perfectly okay too. You do you!
We will all get through this. Together.
An Incredible Madness 