There was no predicting how life would turn upside down & inside out in March 2020. I’m back at my blog after being in that mental/emotional fog for almost two years. This version of me has new hygiene & social distancing habits, gratitude for science keeping me vaccinated, boosted & free of the virus so far. We also clawed through a nasty 2020 election, welcomed a new, more compassionate US president, and predictably were hit with anti-democracy beliefs from a powerful minority threatening civil rights.
Spring 2021 cycling on the Colchester (VT) Causeway (Island Line Trail)
Of all the challenges, I feel the greatest longing for human contact, to have our grown daughters, friends and family around a table, sharing food and stories, hugs and airspace. We talk about “back to normal” as if there is such a thing. My timeline is divided between then and now, the same way we recall events depending on which decade, house or city we were living in. There’s a new B.C. in our lexicon: Before Coronavirus (aka Covid-19).
Did I publish a poetry collection or write the great American novel while in isolation? No. But I did find a guitar teacher in early 2021 & finally got some training in technique, rhythm and music theory. Love the Zoom lessons! Even though my teacher Gregg Jordan lives nearby, I record the exercises he suggests for chord-changing, keeping the beat, etc. to review during my practices. I play every day & despite my old fingers & self-doubts, I’ve slowly made progress!
Other wins: I published a few poems in a local anthology, found a poetry partner for regular sharing of our new pieces, attended Zoom poetry workshops & Master Classes hosted by the Burlington Writers Workshop. The silver lining with Zoom is meeting poets, artists, songwriters from everywhere: Mexico, Australia, London, Austria, Canada and every time zone in the US. I hope this continues, and am grateful for the technology that brought new friends my way.
I also closed my Marketing/Communications business after 7 years, freeing up time for more writing, music, cooking and outdoor life! We welcomed a beautiful granddaughter in August 2021 & I have the joy of caring for her twice a week while our daughter works as a nurse. Shared fun biking & road trips with my sweet husband George. We cycled rail trails in New Hampshire, the Finger Lakes in upstate New York, the Jersey shore, Philly and of course, our beloved Vermont trails and country roads.
Getting words onto my blog is my way of re-committing to my writing practice. I have a musical play in the works, a whole binder full of poems that need more revising, and at least 100 more songs to learn on the guitar. My daily gratitude list overflows with blessings. If I meditate and pray daily, I can stay in the present moment, express myself with joy & freedom—appreciate all that I have.