Four days now since I’ve had any real contact outside my home, except for a brief visit with another couple in their equally large abode. How have I taken advantage of the new state of affairs thrust on the world nearly overnight?
- I’ve started writing a novel. No, this didn’t spring unbidden from the seeds of self-quarantine. I’ve long known that my life from 72-84 would see a much heavier emphasis on writing. I abandoned the last one I worked on 45 years ago, after meeting Cheryl and falling head-over-heels with her, to say nothing of the ensuing residency, marriage, 3 kids, over-whelming job, and immersion in triathlon. I always kept writing, for work and pleasure, but never could get the mental focus and immersion required for a full-length, broadly imagined story. Last five years, I’ve been compiling previously written pieces into travelogues (Nepal), memoir (our 1997 bike trip across the country) proto-novel (Venice Stories), and triathlon entertainment (I Really Wanna Go To Kona, 1999-2006), and putting them between covers, if only for me and my family. I finished up the last one on March 4th, feeling it was finally ready for birth, and published it in Kindle and ereader format. The next day, I started writing a new book-length story, tentatively titled We Could Never see Tomorrow. But it was not just, “Oh, I’m gonna sit right down and right myself a novel…” I’d been planning out the format, style, conceit, voice, content, narrative arc, etc since just after the New Year. But now, I have made good on a commitment to write at least 500 words or 1 hour a day, whichever comes last. 12 days in, I haven’t missed one, am up to 11,400 words, and can see clearly where and how it’s going.
- Training. All running and triathlon and biking events I might have attended or worked towards are on hold or cancelled. So I have no Big Thing I need to get in shape for. On the other hand, it is impossible for me not to swim, bike, run, weight train at least 10 times a week. I am continuing that work, but I am trying very hard to find a sweet spot between the risk to my immune system from the heavy work load I’ve followed the past 20 years and the lighter amount needed to sustain optimum health in the face of an unknown disease, should it find me.
- Travel. We canceled a long-planed maiden voyage in our new Mercedes mini-van (Metris) pop-up camper, to the Southwest, for a couple of those now canceled events, and visits with dear friends in Tucson and Santa Fe. That hurts, but we will try and get the same vibe by taking overnight, or even day trips to nearby parks. Hopefully, we can hit the road again end of April, and raft to Colorado River early May…
- Re-invigorate and re-imagine my marriage. Again, something I was already working on when this hit. I had been finding since last fall new ways to behave at home, because, why not, I love her. For example, if I look at Cheryl, and feel she’s looking particularly cute or lovely at that moment, I tell her instead of just thinking it and assuming she knows that. Touching more, whenever I feel I need support, or just for the sake of feeling each other. This work I’ve been doing has now become ingrained, and just in time for enforced close quarters over an unknown period of time. We won’t make it through without each other.