social distancing diary :: part I

when i started this whole thing, my goals were to exercise my creativity, create content that’s useful to others, and really just have my own place to write. i am all over the creativity part [and shopgolden30.com will be a continuation of that], hope that posts like this one and this one create valuable content for you, and in this series, i’m really focusing on the release of writing. so here it is: my social distancing diary :: part I.

it’s kind of funny, because maternity leave is a little bit like social distancing, except the world goes on around you. in this situation, we are all living in this alternate universe together, but apart. it’s an interesting thought: those of us who all needed a break and wanted time to just hunker down at home (tell me i’m not alone in that) are now being forced to. here are some random [VERY first-world-problems] that have been circulating my brain:

• how long will this last? a week or two working from home might be nice, but i really like being around people. when will i see my coworkers again?
• am i going to get coronavirus? will i give it to my family? i’m young and healthy, and the stats on kids getting it is promising, but sick babies are NEVER fun, regardless if they just have a cold, a fever, or anything else. not to mention, what if i need to bring my kid in? now is not the time to be hauling your tiny humans in to the doc if it’s avoidable.
• wow, the world around us is shut down; WHAT IS THERE TO DO?!
• i’m really wasting these days not wearing any of my cute outfits.
• i miss my computer screens
• i miss my coworkers
• heck, i even miss my commute right now. when the world turns on again, i’m going to have so many podcasts to listen to
• will those podcast hosts till be producing podcasts in the interim?
• i need to finish reading body love everyday.
• will home depot be open so i can send joey to get home project supplies?
• will joey even entertain the idea of doing said home project?
• how are these small businesses going to survive?
• how many local restaurants can we eat out from this week?
• logan thinks i look hilarious with my headset on
• how long will this last?
• what a blessing i’ve been given, to be able to work from home
• it’s really hard to try and figure out a solid work schedule
• how are my friends doing?
• why haven’t they sent the teachers in our district home yet? why are they still being asked to report for the foreseeable future?
• will they shut down deliveries?
• how many rolls of tp are left?
• what does the toilet paper economy look like after all of this?

so many questions, so few answers. instead, i’ve been focusing on what i’m grateful for, which in times like these, i have to make an even more effort to do. it’s not easy to keep a positive mindset in normal times [it takes practice. and more practice. and then more practice.] but i’ve found i need to cling to my gratitude practices in times like these more than ever. in an effort to share that, here are the things i’m grateful for:

• my kids are healthy
• i have the opportunity and ability to work from home
• i have the means to support local businesses and the ability to stock up on groceries. i don’t take that lightly. not only are others out there wondering where their next paycheck might come from; they are wondering how they are going to feed their families. i have it so good
• my home has a dedicated work space for me to use as an office [helloooo cloffice! i’ll work on cleaning it up so i can share what that looks like next week]
• i now have an extra two hours in my day since i’m not commuting!
• i get to be here when my kids wake up, every day.
• the internet. i really have no reason to be bored if i have the ability to move my body AND use the internet to research and get things done. i am an enneagram 5, after all.

i’m not sure how long this will last, and i’m also not sure what this social distancing diary blog series will look like. my plan is to continue to use it as long as it is cathartic for me to write this all out in the hopes that it will resonate with some of you as well. in the meantime, thanks for listening, and hang in there. i truly believe that if we did this right, it’s going to look like we overreacted. <3