I have been busy the weather here doesn't seem to know that we have a pandemic. I can hear my next door neighbors kids jumping on there newly installed trampoline. It is nice to hear them laughing and playing a distraction from the grown up world. The three of them have been home schooled and are use to be all together all the time. Something I am sure other parents and kids are having a hard time with.
My neighbor on the other side hung off her porch yesterday while I was finishing up cleaning my porch and replacing one of my steps that was rotten. It just so happened that I found an extra step in my basement that was exactly the right size. A few years ago I have some rotten wood replaced before I had my house painted. I think they meant to change out this step but missed it.
I like being handy it has served me well all my life. I didn't really tackle serious projects until I was divorced at thirty. I didn't have any money and I had a house to take care of so I started learning from books how to fix things. That was before YouTube. I found I really liked doing most of the stuff. The secret to fixing things is really patience and hopefully the right tools. Back then I never had the right tools and this made me crazy.
When I am working on a project I always think of my daddy he could fix anything and he was the most patient man on the planet. When I was little I would hand him tools while he laid under the our car. I remember he loved car manuals and would spend hours locked in the bathroom reading them. My mother would beat on the door demanding that he come out. I think he loved the process of figuring out how things are done more than actually do them. I am actually like that too. Once I solve the problem I lose interest pretty quickly this is why my job is perfect for me.
Being analytical can trip you up when you are dealing with the real world and other people. People are not logical and life is pretty random and can't be explained. I have spent most of my life trying to fix the unfix-able. First it was the other person and then it was myself. I finally realized that this is not possible. All I could do is practice acceptance of what is and find ways everyday to be peaceful and happy.
This seems impossible especially right now when we are dealing with being told to do nothing but stay home. Our minds are built to keep searching for a solution that doesn't exist unless you are a scientist creating a vaccine.
There is no simple answer except to just pretend that you have been given a vacation from your normal routine and anything is possible. Your mind listens to your thoughts and if you think you are suffering than your body will act accordingly. This is bad for you physically and of course emotionally. Saying "I hate this" just adds fuel to the fire.
If you were a kid and your mother said "summer starts right now" you would be thrilled beyond reason even if she said you couldn't go outside. Your mind would be wild with ideas. You wouldn't think it was punishment to abandon your routine and be free.
If you aren't sick life is good. If you have a home filled with things and people you love life is good. It is hard to just put the fear aside and move on but not impossible. It starts with limiting the amount of news being consumed everyday. I watch it once a day and that is all I need. It was funny yesterday I saw a 15 minute segment that had pictures and clips from stories aired over the last few weeks. No real new news. I do check the numbers and as testing goes up the more cases are reported.
I can't let my mind lose it'self in fear. I have to have the discipline to stop the negative banter in my head. Just like the serenity prayer says "accept the things I cannot change and the courage to change the things I can" I can't do anything about the pandemic but I can control the negative thoughts in my mind.
I watch movies to distract my mind from trying to solve this unsolvable puzzle. Again your mind doesn't know the difference between fantasy and reality so it is better to keep the selection light.
Starz has "The Holiday" which I really love a total fantasy for sure but fun. Giving my mind a break even for only a couple of hours is healthy right now.
We can't control the future so we have to work with what is right in front of us and make the best of it. Fear paralyzes us in to thinking "it will always be this way" but it won't. Life will go on and we will adapt to whatever comes our way.
Be safe and know that you have control over your own thoughts and most of us have everything we need in this moment.
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