A Necessary Escape

Quarantine is something that weighs heavily on all of our minds these days. Days seem to trickle by and morph into a never ending beast, at least that is my current unwelcome experience. But to survive this period safely and sanely it is prudent more than ever to find an escape from our impending madness. This means many different things for every individual reading, taking up a new language, cooking more, binging an old favorite show, meditating for a second, or posting on your blog (I am guilty of all of these and more). But, to bide our time inside it is important to find something. We need something to inspire us to pass these next few months in a peaceful solitude and not mournful hatred. We must all find the flecks of positivity in what would otherwise be labeled a dark and dreary time.

One of my current escapes is Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, please no spoilers as I am quite hooked at a mere fifty pages. I honestly do not know if I could cite the last time I have had a chance to read a book for fun, but it is a feeling I am realizing I deeply missed. Experiencing a whole new world, a different time, and someone else's life is something quite welcome to me at the moment. Although it is not the same as interacting with others it is in some regards a conversation between yourself and the characters. I catch myself yelling at the characters in my head, " NO, don't go in there. You CAN'T." Much to my chagrin my warnings often go unheeded, but I am confident it will bite the characters in the butt later. Nonetheless this internal dialogue gives my mind a break from the looming threat of coronavirus for an hour or so and it is a welcome distraction.

* Disclaimer: I am taking all of the necessary precautions. If you are or plan to have a pen pal make sure you wipe down any mail with soap and water. You can also use a Clorox wipe if you are able. Now back to the un-COVID related content. (I tried to get through a whole post without that nasty word but the little weasel snuck its way in.)

I am able to achieve a similar feeling while I pen pal my college friends, who have unfortunately (and fortunately, a bit of a love hate relationship on that one) all returned home. It is nice to be able to maintain those friendships despite the distance. Yes, I know texting and video calls are faster or more effective but we like letters what can I say. I could blame it on the aesthetic value of letters which is quite nice, at least I think so, but if nothing else we all get our eyes off the screen for a moment.

If you are fortunate enough to be quarantined with family, friends, or a partner and the loneliness has not quite kicked in yet, well first of all we are quite a lucky bunch. Many friends, family members, or strangers around the world do not have the same luxury at the moment and these months alone can be painfully silent. Try to remember these people during quarantine and send a quick text, short phone call, or even a letter. If you want to correspond with a stranger I have used Postcrossing many times and it is always a rewarding experience. Although I am sure being quarantined with your whole family is not the funnest experience at times noise, slow wifi, cramped sleeping situations, etc. are all compounding factors I am sure, but you still have someone. We would do best not to take that for granted at this time. Although if your home situation has been exacerbated negatively in quarantine pleas reach out to people. There are many resources such as hotlines that are government funded or independently run.

I really just wanted to make this post in an effort to extend some positive words and a touch of mindfulness in these difficult times. It is important to stay safe and to take the time to cope in anyway you need. Yes, these times may be unprecedented and no one imagined 2020 would have turned out this way but that is no longer the issue. I hope the vaccine comes expediently and can save many lives but until then we must find a way to make the days pass with as much positivity as we are able. Looking back on quarantine, we will not be defined by the situation but how we dealt with it.