I seldom go out of the apartment, not because I couldn’t go for a walk but because I haven’t felt the need to. My main reaction to the stay-at-home orders is gratitude. For several years I was isolated, bored out of my mind, and depressed during summer vacations when I was a kid. Now thanks to the internet I have a window on the world. (As I’ve said before we haven’t haven’t had regular TV since the management took the antenna off our roof months ago.)
This morning I watched the Space X launch live on NASA TV. Here are three screenshots I took minutes before the launch:
I also checked the news from both national and international papers, and I’m now going off to exercise in front of the TV. I never sit down to stream videos — the rule is I have to exercise while doing it, and at the moment I’m watching The Great Courses Plus series on Foundations of Western Civilization II: A History of the Modern Western World. Western Civ my freshman year was my favorite class of all time, and this one continues from where that class ended.
Anyway, my younger self would have been in seventh heaven to have these opportunities, so I’m making the most of them now.
May 30, 2020
yes, there are plenty of opportunities to do anything – “at home”. I’ve got annoyed with people who have said “I am/was bored…” and that’s when I realised how many people have rather “narrow lives” especially when they can’t go off and do something else.
It made me realise that some of these people and a lot of them are edging closer to 60, haven’t got anything on the horizon for when they do retire from working…what do they plan to do? Not all of them will be travelling every which way…
I remember when there were night school classes, many people almost become workshop junkies, learning lots of useful skills be for when you retire or in this case “lockdown”. One could learn to make bread, knit, use your computer, flower arranging, pass your drivers licence; learn to play golf (with practice day extras); learn to budget; take up specialised cooking classes….and so on.
the Education part of the gov’t decided that was a waste of resources…and bingo they were gone. Some still exist but what of the patronage…
I was soon, in Lockdown, having to research recipes so that I could at least eat edible foods. This came even more a need when I got the foodboxes, as I would be faced with unfamilar foods, particularly in the protein line. I’ve just 2 nights with a fresh fish fillet: Kahawai. One night I used the baked in paper and last night a curry…
Of course, it’s everyone to their own pathway/journey BUT maybe this enforced “leisure time” and that loosely placed but anyone isolated will understand that…AND just maybe in the process, they may have thought a little more of “when I retire from work….I will…do….xyz” Which may require a bit of planning right now!
That’s too bad the stopped the classes. Our local community college used to offer classes on all sorts of subjects before the shutdown. I actually taught some right after I retired. It was a good chance for the teachers to share their interests and good for the students too.
I’ve just heard today (or maybe seen today) that community education is to be the thing…from the looks of the sound/word it was like it was a brand new idea to put together more including night school…
It’s all about reeducating and up-skilling those who have lost their jobs…and to have those skill based jobs that have a lack of people working in them, so that infrastructure etc can get moving.
of course, that will probably mean that many that apply for the free upskill – may never finish the course; or be on of the many hard pressed apprentices who are used as a kind of work fodder.
I would actually like it if anyone could learn how to be sustainable…a bit like me and the relearning how to “cook/bake” …. heaps of ordinary skills that many 100s of people need including how to live within a budget…
I watched the space launch too. It was the only bright and positive thing going on in the U.S.A. over the past few days with over 30 cites dealing with protests, riots and fires. Oh I should mention—since you don’t have TV—that our very fine president is blaming Democratic mayors for not containing the violence that he himself had a hand in provoking.
Well, yes, blaming other people is what he does. Only losers admit mistakes. 🙁
it is amazing in the world of today how anyone can say they are bored!
the whole world is literally at our fingertips. and creative people abound out there.
there is so much more to life than ‘making money!’ and ‘buying STUFF!’
the internet has spoiled me though. it would definitely be an adjustment to lose contact with the world all of a sudden.
but… que sera sera if that day ever comes!
It would be a big adjustment for me too,!
Oh, my brother and I talk all the time how wonderful it would have been just to have the kindle and have access to all the books…let alone the internet. Any time we have a problem, the first place we go is youtube.
And Roger’s forge…he got the plans for it off the internet. He got it in his head to do his own flyrod before his stroke. You have to have something to hold the rod plus turn it as he puts the painted rings on, plus maybe do the string that holds the eyes. He got on youtube and found how to make something.
Same with making bowstrings. Well, not sure it was youtube, but he found plans for making a ‘jig’ to make bowstrings, bought the type of string used, and made his own strings, plus some for friends..
Just last year, or the year before I was watching a vlogger make a pillowcase…and picked up a trick that made me wonder why had I not thought of that before…
I agree, there is a wealth of information and ideas there. We are rich!
With the exception of work I don’t go out much either. I sometimes wonder what I used to entertain myself with before I had internet
I relied on books more, and journal writing, but now the world is changing so fast I like having access to many newspapers, both domestic and foreign, to try to see some of the big-picture trends. It’s history in the making, right before our eyes.
And Netflix, The Great Courses, etc. are so much easier on my poor old eyes. Also, I would miss connecting with my friends and family. Fingers crossed we don’t have to figure out what we would do. 😀
I commend everyone with how well they have managed their time over the past few weeks. I confess that I’ve had the whole gamut of emotions during the lock down. My main concern now is how our economies are going to repair. I think it will take a long time to put things right, and I’m afraid we will all feel the consequences.
I’m afraid I think more disruptive changes will be coming because of overpopulation and climate change. I would love to be proved wrong!