Minnesota is officially in its sixth day of State-imposed quarantine. Although our State is better off than most in terms of infection rates, we’re seeing larger groups of people beginning to gather at parks and lakes again so we expect there to be an uptick in COVID-19 cases soon.
Due to our annual forced hibernation from the rough winter weather here we’re used to being inside. On the flip-side, when the warm weather finally arrives it’s our natural instinct to rush outside so we can soak up as much vitamin D from the glorious sunshine as we can.
What a difference a week makes. For the first few days of this quarantine I was like Pffft, no big deal but now that smugness is starting to change. It’s the little things I miss. Face-to-face conversations, lunch on a restaurant patio, going anywhere, really, without constantly worrying about what I’m touching.
Just in the past couple of days I’ve noticed more and more friends on social media posting about people they’ve lost. All of this is definitely wearing on the psyche. I find myself staring out of the windows a little more often dreaming of places far away.
Distancing myself from mainstream media and the myriad of conspiracy theories circulating about Coronavirus is helping my frame of mind. Instead, I’ve been watching a lot more FailArmy and lighthearted content. I’ve also been focusing on my craft, which is always a good distraction from the nefarious things going on in the world.
This morning I experienced a bit of harmless schadenfreude* when I read a Buzzfeed article about a woman who accidentally turned herself into a potato during a business call.
She couldn’t figure out how to delete the filter so she participated in the ENTIRE call as a spud. Although I haven’t done this yet, it’s something I could see happening to me. It’s probably just a matter of time.
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I’m not the only one using humor as a coping mechanism. We took Amstel, our beagle, for a walk today and noticed this statue.
I'll end this post with a joke...a dad joke, of course...
Q: What's E.T. short for?
Stay well my friends.
With Gratitude,
Eric Vance Walton
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
Alarm Clock Dawn, one of the first full length novels published on the blockchain, and the book that started it all for me can be found HERE. Or Click Here to read it for free on the blockchain
My book on meditation, The Perfect Pause, is priced at $12.99 (paperback) and $4.99 (eBook). Buy the paperback and receive the eBook for free!
