Since Covid began, I have been reduced to an on-computer world. Okay, add tv and social media for news. And my yard, neighborhood walks, and rare shopping trips.
As my world shrinks, my peripheral vision has widened. I see the birds flying overhead and I know what time of day they go by. I know when the squirrel attacks my avocado tree. I see the raccoons invade the neighbor’s trash cans. I know which hummingbird has what part of the yard. Same with the butterflies.
Like many people, we are cleaning out closets, offices, kitchen cupboards. We are donating what we don’t need to our kids, and to shelters. Just like in business, we are using this time to attack projects that have lingered, waiting for when we have time. Well, that time is now.
This more internal focus has its pluses. Fixing broken or kludgy systems has a real payoff in efficiency. Instead of being in a rush to travel or socialize or even get to the office through hellish traffic, there is more opportunity to sit quietly and be grateful for what is not broken, for what is simply working, and for moments of joy. We can realign ourselves.
Today we walked down by the LA River and saw that the city work 2 months ago to clean out a lot of brush and trash has paid off. The water is flowing freely and there were many cormorants, and herons (one in the picture), as well as flocks of smaller birds. It was only an hour and it felt like a trip to another world. Can you do something similar?
I don’t want to stay shrunken forever. But, I’ve tried to imagine reopening safely, a vaccine, a time when I can hug my friends again, when I can get on a plane and fly to some other continent. I’m tired of guessing. I have surrendered to my lack of control. My shrunken world will have to do for now.