By Mel White
Just another day
On the Bright Side
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Mel White
Just another day in this time of Coronavirus. Just another day like yesterday was, and the day before that, and that other day, and all the others.
I can't say I have much news to write about as I am, like all of us, homebound except for those exciting and somewhat daring excursions to the grocery store. But I have found the bright side to being self-quarantined, at least a little.
For example, I am not a good cook – never claimed to be, probably never will be – but I am cooking for myself these days. Because I usually eat out more than I probably need to, I used to long for a home-cooked meal every now and then. Now I've gotten so much of my own home-cooking that I'm longing for a restaurant cooked meal. You know the kind, where not only does someone else cook but some other one waits on you hand and foot and someone else cleans up. I miss those experiences.
But I am getting a little better with my cooking. The first few tries I happily discovered that my smoke alarm is working just fine, thank you very much, and now I am also just as happy to report that it hasn't gone off for several days in a row. Getting the hang of it all I guess.
And I would be gaining weight with all the eating I'm doing, but I have also started using the old Wii system, which means I've been playing a lot of tennis and baseball and doing a lot of bowling, all in the comfort of my own living room. And I'm really getting into it – it gets my heart rate up and makes me sweat, and after a few initial days of soreness, my muscles are used to it now and onward I go. And the good news is I have not, as of yet, broken any lamps or fallen into any furniture. Success is measured in many different ways, you know.
Of course my dog, Bailey, is not so sure about all my Wii shenanigans in the living room, but just between you and me, they also provide me with a little respite from... Bailey. That little dog is used to being with me as she came to work with me every day when the store was open, and I take her with me everywhere I can, but for the last few weeks we have been together basically 24/7 and she does not leave my side. She wants to be on my lap any time I sit anywhere, and sometimes I like to just sit there by myself, you know?
I get that necessary alone time whenever I play with the Wii – Bailey runs to another room and watches me intently until I turn the darned thing off. Sometimes I might leave it on longer than I need to.
On the other hand, Bailey is getting walked more than she has been in a while, and that is good for both of us. Especially when we venture out and find a secluded place in the wildflowers to walk (me) and walk and sniff (her). My intake of Vitamin D is getting a boost these days too, and I can't complain about that.
I'm used to living alone as I have done for many years, and I like it, so I find this self-quarantine business a little easier than some folks do, but I must admit I miss face-to-face interaction with friends and acquaintances. In lieu of that I have spent a little more time on the phone; I've never really enjoyed talking on the phone but I see it is a good substitute for now, and I find I've talked with more people on a more regular basis than I used to. I can't complain about that either.
I'm saving up hugs and dreams of restaurant dinners across the table from friends for when it is safe for close human contact again. Meanwhile, I'm finding that these days that seem interminable are really opportunities for introspection and self-growth and learning new ways to be and connect, and an exercise in finding a way to be happy for every moment we can enjoy being safe and healthy.
So, just for today, I'm hoping you have a nice day however you can! And I'll wish you the same tomorrow and the next day and the next. Having just another day is, after all, a blessing in and of itself.
© Marilda Mel White. Mel White, local photographer and writer and co-owner of Tehachapi Treasure Trove, has been looking on the bright side for various publications since 1996. She welcomes your comments and stories of finding the bright spots at morningland@msn.com.
