{"id":13528,"date":"2021-03-11T15:34:40","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T20:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/briwebapp.net\/cfgxfm\/?p=13528"},"modified":"2021-03-11T15:41:47","modified_gmt":"2021-03-11T20:41:47","slug":"the-view-from-here-its-been-a-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/briwebapp.net\/cfgxfm\/blogs\/afternoons\/2021\/03\/the-view-from-here-its-been-a-year\/","title":{"rendered":"The View From Here – It’s Been A Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was a year ago today that a worldwide pandemic was declared.\u00a0 You will notice flags flying at half mast<\/a>.\u00a0 It’s to remember those lives lost to the virus.\u00a0 My heart goes out to those forever left to miss family and friends and feeling that pain. I’m so sorry for your loss.\u00a0 There is no greater sadness than losing someone you love.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

How has life changed for you since then?\u00a0 We sure didn’t see any of this coming then, did we?<\/p>\n

This time last year we were still living a normal life.\u00a0 We were untouched.\u00a0 We were aware of it around us.\u00a0 We just hadn’t been impacted.\u00a0 Yet.<\/p>\n

One year.\u00a0 \u00a0Hard to believe.\u00a0 Somedays it feels like it just happened.\u00a0 On other days it feels like time has stood still.<\/p>\n

I’ve been sitting here, in my home office\/ studio, and trying to come up with an answer myself, to how things have changed.\u00a0 At least in my life.\u00a0 How has this pandemic changed ME?<\/p>\n

I am still working from home and have been since the beginning of April.\u00a0 I look back on Facebook posts.\u00a0 A cat who wouldn’t leave me alone at first.\u00a0 Kids home.\u00a0 We went back to comfort food and simple things like sidewalk chalk, bike rides and long walks.\u00a0 \u00a0I have a picture in my living room, doing my morning workout, with Doug Ford on the TV in the background announcing a state of emergency for the province\u00a0of Ontario.\u00a0 \u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

Back then we had no idea what would come our way.\u00a0 Businesses closing their doors.\u00a0 All those events we love, cancelled, postponed.\u00a0 No more theatre or concerts or movies.\u00a0 Cities shut down.\u00a0 Streets empty.<\/p>\n

We went back to basics.\u00a0 We baked bread and begged for toilet paper.\u00a0 We cut our own hair.\u00a0 \u00a0We cleaned and organized.\u00a0 We banded together.\u00a0 \u00a0We lifted up the essential workers and realized just how much we need people.\u00a0 We sanitized, and kept our distance.\u00a0 Always hoping it would be over soon.<\/p>\n

It’s now a year and we’re still hoping it’s going to be over soon.\u00a0 Still waiting for the finish line.\u00a0 Still waiting for a return to “normal” whatever that might look like.<\/p>\n

I’ve realized that I’m not a social person.\u00a0 I don’t miss going “out” to events.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I don’t miss rushing around, or meeting obligations on a social calendar.\u00a0 I do miss people.\u00a0 I miss my family and friends.\u00a0 I even miss my co-workers.<\/p>\n

I’ve realized that even with extra time on my hands I still can’t finish a book.\u00a0 \u00a0I’ve realized that I don’t need STUFF.\u00a0 I’ve done a lot of purging and getting rid of clutter.<\/p>\n

I’ve realized that despite my best efforts, I’m not that great at keeping a house clean.\u00a0 Maybe it’s just because nobody ever leaves to get it clean.\u00a0 (smile)<\/p>\n

I’ve realized a lot of “friends” I had on social media weren’t really friends.\u00a0 That one was hard to accept.\u00a0 All these people we “friend” and think we’re doing life together, but when they stop showing up, it’s hard. I also realized I spent way too much time scrolling online and soon put an end to that too.\u00a0 All that negativity takes its toll after a while.<\/p>\n

I have watched way too much TV.\u00a0 I was using it as an escape and calling cast members family.\u00a0 I had to set limits or I would never leave the couch.<\/p>\n

I never dealt with anxiety before like I have this past year.\u00a0 There have been so many ups and downs, highs and lows.\u00a0 Nights where I would wake in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, worried about where I had been, worried about symptoms that didn’t exist, worried about people around me.\u00a0 \u00a0This invisible virus was very real sometimes even if only in my own thoughts.<\/p>\n

It’s been so great to be able to work from home, but at the same time, it really does change you.\u00a0 You lose conversation.\u00a0 You lose structure and purpose.\u00a0 You have to fight to stay in routine and try to stay connected to the outside world.\u00a0 \u00a0So often it feels so very lonely and isolating.\u00a0 \u00a0Like the world is going on around you, but without you in it, and nobody knows you’re not there.<\/p>\n

I appreciate the little things so much more.\u00a0 Time spent around the dinner table.\u00a0 A phone call.\u00a0 A smile.<\/p>\n

I’ve loved being home with my kids and having a relaxed start to every day.\u00a0 No rush to get out the door.\u00a0 No travel time to get to work.\u00a0 But at the same time I miss having somewhere to GO.<\/p>\n

My commute is up the stairs to my scrapbook room.\u00a0 There is no real break from home to work.<\/p>\n

I don’t think anybody expected we’d still be in the thick of it so to speak a year later.\u00a0 It’s been incredible hard on everyone and one of the hardest things about it, is that nobody experiences it the same way.<\/p>\n

We’ve been through a lot this past year.\u00a0 It’s been incredibly challenging.\u00a0 We’ve had to constantly adapt to changing circumstances.\u00a0 Masks, sanitizer, and circles on the floor are now part of everyday life.<\/p>\n

I cannot wait til we get to the point that we don’t need to follow the arrows, and hide our faces behind a piece of cloth however cool it might be.\u00a0 I can’t wait til we can go somewhere without having that voice in the back of our heads worrying about a virus, our health, those around us we might infect, and just being able to breath comfortably again.<\/p>\n

I don’t think things will ever be the same.<\/p>\n

I’d like to think I’ll embrace the slower pace of life.\u00a0 Make those closest to me a priority in my life and make the rest of my life more about people and experiences rather than “stuff”.<\/p>\n

And if I never have to wear a mask again I will be happy.\u00a0 Though, to be honest, sometimes you want to just run into the store and not have anybody see you or recognize you when your hair isn’t done and your clothes are the same you’ve been wearing for three days.\u00a0 (smile).\u00a0 \u00a0And a mask is a great disguise sometimes.\u00a0 (smile)<\/p>\n

Here’s to all that we have taken out of the past year that has been good for us.\u00a0 That has helped us learn and grow.<\/p>\n

And here’s to finally having a day we can look back on this as just a memory.<\/p>\n

As always – please feel free to reach out to me anytime.\u00a0 I’m always ready for a good chat!<\/p>\n

cbuchanan@blackburnradio.com<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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