Just like everyone else on the planet, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed my life in a very short period of time. Nine days ago, I was beginning to social distance, but still had big plans for adventures involving driving out to a trailhead somewhere with the bike on the rack, and tying in with friends there. Nine days ago, my job was still secure…I dutifully reported to the office and worked half a day before my employer sent almost everyone home (with pay, thankfully). Nine days ago, the first of the panic buyers were starting their sweeps through the grocery and big box stores. Gas was still over $3/gallon. Toilet paper was already scarce, though. A lot has changed since that time, and I’m sure a lot more will change in the coming days. Here are some of the things I’ve observed so far.
First, it’s OK to unplug. The world is going through drastic changes on what seems to be an hourly basis. Sometimes it feels like we have to stay glued to the media outlets or things will spin out of our range and we will lose touch with the outside world…not true. A few updates a day is plenty. Reading, being outside, household chores, or just sitting and zoning for a while are all perfectly good uses of time, and more importantly they will help preserve our sanity.
Second, there are many outdoor adventures to be had without driving anywhere. Walking or biking around the neighborhood I am starting to notice things that I was too “future-focused” to really see before. There are huge numbers of birds around my neighborhood; each species has slightly different behaviors and they’re all interesting to me. Plants are in different stages of budding/blooming at this time. The weather has patterns that I’m beginning to take note of. These are good things to experience, all within a few miles of home…no driving or gas station trips necessary.
Finally, the dichotomy of control has become of utmost importance. Here is what the dichotomy of control means. There are two kinds of things in this world: things we can control, and things we cannot control. To be our best selves we must focus on adjusting things in the first category and accepting things in the second category. Right now it seems like almost everything is in the second category, but on closer examination there are still plenty of things in the first category. Most of us can’t control whether we keep or lose our jobs, but we can control our spending (beyond the essentials, at least). We can’t control everything going on in the world, but we can control our own behaviors. We can’t control quarantines, shelter in place, or stay at home orders, but we can control how we choose to spend this time. And we can control our attitudes, to a greater degree than most of us currently believe.
For my own sanity I’ll try to keep posting on a regular basis, as long as I can.
Bike Newbie 