I’m writing this from the same chair I’ve sat in for the past thirty some-odd days. The same chair in which days feel like months and weekends no longer exist. For me, the uncertainty is really what’s fucking with my head. Wear this mask, don’t wear this mask, “I heard by May 20th…”, and on and on and on. But in this completely upside-down version of life I’ve found that the one thing that has been able to rally my sanity best has been routine.
Now before I blab about what type of non-dairy milk I use in my cold brew, I’d like to acknowledge that this is an incredibly frightening and confusing time to be alive and that anything and everything that you’re feeling is okay. By no means am I qualified to give advice or prescribe fixes for anything, however I am offering my ears (the digital versions via social media) and my voice in hopes that by hearing my two cents you somehow feel less alone in all of this.
That being said, I use oat milk in my cold brew.
For me, it’s boiled down to occupying my brain in ways that feel productive. More often than not it’s been exercise, music, and books, but occasionally it’s meant an hour on Call Of Duty Warzone (gamertag Orth0doxLotus, come see me).
At a time when it is so easy to consume all the negative aspects that come from our situation, I’m trying to shift the bulk of my focus on the positive. The moon has never been so full as it was a few weeks back, the sunsets never so vivid, the mockingbirds never so talkative. All the things I took (and take) for granted I am trying to appreciate. I have a beautiful and loving fiancé to wake up next to, a stubborn old French bulldog to force my cuddles on, and fortunately a job I still love wholeheartedly.
Even if none of the 3 aforementioned items apply to you, the “little” things like the moon, and sun, and birds do. And when it’s so easy to fall victim to fear and panic, I’d argue it’s just as easy to succumb to the beauty around us that we may have neglected prior to this plague. What works for me, may not work for you, and we can save the “hold the door for someone” conversation for another time, but I guess what I am asking you to do is evaluate which things in your life help you recognize you’re still here, and from there decide which of those things make you happiest to still be.
I sincerely hope everyone is safe, healthy, and responsible during all of this. And I want to thank everyone from the cashiers at the grocery stores to the doctors on the front lines and absolutely everyone in between for risking so much in order to help others.
There are ears all around that are available to listen. Take care of yourself.
