We turn the sound of the TV up so we can’t hear the noise of ambulance sirens and we reflect on places we’ve seen: Cairo, Venice; Morgantown, West Virginia. The Red Sea, the Potala Palace, the Winchester Mystery House. The Trolly in Lisbon, elephants in the Bronx, the Southern Cross. And places we’ve seen only in our minds: the streets of Timbuktu, the Carpathian Mountains, Macondo.
We read books we haven’t had time for and reread ones we love. We see friends virtually, knowing they’re anything but “virtual friends.”
We long for family.
We long for an old normal.
We try to normalize a new order.
We hold the ones we love the most…at length, closely.
We’re alone together, together alone.
We find freedom in our minds even though we’re trapped in them.

I’ve seen heroes and terrorists. I’ve seen seven continents.
I raised children who do good in the world.
I am a student of Tai Chi Ch’uan, daughter of a magician, and decedent of a miner who left a mystic isle to dig black coomb in tunnels he couldn’t stand in. I do not fear enclosure.
I’m Amelia Earhart, Patti Smith, Alice in Wonderland.
I’m made of the “stuff“ of stars, and we do not fall easily.

I am trying to lead an ordinary inside life, on my own schedule that is filled but not quite loose. I dress according to my mood: frivolous or grunge. I get up, do my tai chi forms, eat breakfast, attend to household chores, email, haver about the web, consider writing/editing old stories, loose concentration. Eat lunch. After this, I might take a walk with my husband if the weather is ok, or read a bit. Afternoons are for ironing on random days, or I might take a nap—something I very rarely did before, despite life-long insomnia, but recent stress related incidents…

Then a little yoga, 20 min, 45 min (mostly 20). My Spanish lesson: “Yo soy abuela.” Ok, the vocabulary is coming slowly. (I still have to look up English words when I read, for heaven’s sake!) And grammar is years away. “Mi camisita es rojo.” Why does “T-shirt” sound so much like Kama Sutra? 

I check-up on friends by phone, which is as much for me as for them.

Then back to the internet, a quick scan of social media (until my heart starts to pound). Is it six yet? Close enough. A glass of wine, two lately, generous pours. My husband insists on watching, at the least, local news. I practice avoidance by clanking pots and dishes, supper preparation. (I also avoid the orange villain and his horde holding their daily rallies to pronounce untrue prevarication, antipathy, and ugliness.)

After supper, clean up, shower, TV, reading, lights out. There is some roaming in the the night, some reading, snacking, Ambien.

Outside, the city (New York City) is eerily silent and clear. We normally have to go to the Planetarium to see stars, some are visible now without the admission cost.

Does it sound peaceful? 

Actually we live anxiety attack to anxiety attack, nightmare to nightmare. Heart pounding, eye burning, hypochondriac blips, wondering if I should write that last letter to my husband, children, grandchildren. (I love you, LOVE you, proud to have been your wife, mother, grandnan…)

For all of you out there who are getting work done and children home-schooled, I’m awed by you. You have my enduring respect. For those of you who are going out and doing your jobs: medical, police, delivery, garbage, mail, grocery workers, truck drivers, firemen..for all of you, 10,000 blessings. And 10,000 more.

Virtual hugs to everyone. Namaste. Peace. Power. Whatever that Star Trek thing is, “Wakanda forever,” military salute, high-five/fist bump mime, air kiss…

I’ve never had a problem being alone. As a shy “only” child I found plenty ways to entertain myself. My anxiety emerged when I had to be among people. It isn’t that I dislike people nor am I bored by them, but they tend to confuse me. I suppose I was out of the loop so much as a kid and young adult, that I never grasped the art of social grace. I was always worried about saying or doing the wrong thing, offending someone. Happily, I’ve reached an age where this no longer matters—or maybe it does, but women of a certain age can get away with anything (largely due to our invisibility which has its plusses and minuses).
Staying at home is not a great stretch for me. I’m neither sick nor unhealthy enough to worry inordinately about this virus, but my usual “haunts” are closed or at risk—the yoga studios, museums, restaurants…and the subway, well, that was a risk I was always willing to take but where would I go now? I don’t feel entirely alone—I do have a husband who’s recklessly careening about the apartment as a result of the stock market, and friends I can call. I read, write, do tai chi and yoga, watch TV. I even cleaned my oven!
I can shop on the internet, but it’s much more interesting to go out to the market and track what people are stowing away. The rice shelf is empty and there are very few beans. There’s precious few frozen veggies and a hole in the frozen fish freezer, go figure. Much of the chocolate is gone, but not my favorite (which I’m not sharing the name of for obvious reasons). Not much choice in the ice cream department either. Wine comes into the building by the case, some to my apartment. Alcohol kills germs after all.
And what’s with the toilet paper obsession?
The weather’s been great so we can get out for a walk, that is if I can find time away from my current project which is patching my worn bedspread. Writing…a bit, but it’s hard to “work” when things are cozy.
Given the current state of affairs (politics, elections, environmental catastrophes, extremist agendas and the reemergence of intolerance), I think it is time to kick back and take a breath. It’s unfortunate that it took a health crisis to compel us to slow down and examine what’s really important.
Stay well, people.

It’s been a perfectly lazy holiday break. Howie and I have watched way too much Netflix. When he watched sports, I alternated between Dr. Who and Dexter. The most constructive thing I’ve done in the last two weeks is let my hair grow. I’m at an age where appearance options are reduced to cute, drab, or fierce. I’ve allowed myself to verge on drab long enough; I’m too lazy for cute, and therefore I’m considering going full-on Patti Smith (without the pigtails). Though I may never possess her fierceness, I can at least look like I might.
I know women who have the ability to frighten young men and small children. They relish their capacity and I admire them. Some of these women keep cats, but I’m a dog girl by nature—and horoscope. This year being a Year of the Rat, I’m hoping it will bring out a bit more “wolf in the forest” than my natural tendency toward “squirrel chasing stray or curled up and dreaming in a warm corner.”
Holidays are over and it’s time to come out of my cozy space, stand up, and face the world again. I stand behind women who are taking on the patriarchy, bigotry and inhumanity. I stand beside women (and men) who are truthful and just, and who respect the planet and all its creatures.
There are many fierce women I admire (with good hair and bad, pigtails and not) but only one has a birthday today.
Happy Birthday Patti.