This column is not for anyone who has grabbed hold of the tail of this pandemic and tied it into a perfectly beautiful bow.
You know the types: Overachievers!
They have made designer sourdough bread. Not only is it homemade and sourdough but they somehow make it look like a piece of art. Then, of course, they photograph and post for all to see.
It is also not for anyone who has taken his/her time at home to completely remodel the house.
Oh, I see your delightful new bathroom is all sparkly and sanitized.
I admire your talents and energy but then I sort of want to slap you.
No, this is for the rest of us.
I am talking about the portion of the population who has not especially found new talents during lockdown.
This is for those of us who have to literally talk ourselves into getting up and showering. Who knew how time consuming and energy sapping shampooing and conditioning can be? I can feel my strength oozing out of my pores with every squeeze of the bottle. L’OREAL, I’m not so sure this is worth it.
I am speaking for the people who struggle to get dressed, make meals, sweep the floor and get the laundry done.
It did my heart good to hear former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama say the other day she thinks she is suffering from some sort of low grade depression.
She wasn’t talking about clinical depression, obviously, but that feeling of malaise so many of us are feeling. Its just all so distressing at the moment. If Michelle is feeling it, then I feel its okay for me to feel it too.
I saw another quote the other day that spoke to me.
“It is OK to not be busy. Repeat this with me. It is OK to not be busy.”
I swear I spend half my day beating myself up over the chores I didn’t get finished. The rest of the day is spent thinking about what I should be doing with all this time at home and on my hands. That all seems like another monumental waste of time, doesn’t it?
Yes, I could certainly be more productive.
But then I would not be able to name every true crime Netflix documentary, would I? There must be a need for that, right? Pretty sure, I can solve the “perfect” crime by now. (watch the creepy kid or the neighbour)
I managed to set up online banking, learned to etransfer money and order useless stuff for home delivery. It isn't much but I'm patting myself on the back.
Some days I have spent a few hours on the phone with a friend who was having a harder time than myself. I don’t consider that wasted time.
I have gotten closer to many friends through Facebook, Zoom and Skype. When all pretense of good hair, makeup and nice clothes drop away (not literally) you can get into some pretty deep and necessary conversations. Stories and memories that might have never been shared had it not been for the time we are living in. Well worth the effort!
Have I done way too many Diamond Art projects? Yes.
However, it released a lot of stress and made me feel ever so artistic. I’m going to call that a win.
We remain in an uncertain time.
Nobody knows what is coming next and I think it's wise not to speculate at this point. (pandemic, hurricanes, riots, murder hornets)
If you spend any part of your day doing something that gives you joy or a sense of peace or if you connected with family or friends or pets or music or nature - let’s give ourselves a pass.
I’m calling it time well wasted.
