It's an Accomplishment

As Chicken Little was heard to say, "the sky is falling, the sky is falling!".  Worst jobless rate since the Great Depression.  Conspiracy theories taking over social media.  People with assault weapons attempting to block streets near major hospitals.  And real people, human beings, sons, daughters, fathers and mothers dying alone in hospital beds hooked up to ventilators.

I'm not immune - I was the first person in a small walk-in clinic to greet you when you came in complaining of high fever and cough.  When we figured out what was happening, I was the one who called you to confirm the place and time for your Covid-19 test, asking for the make and model of your car so that our nurse could test you without you ever getting out of the car.  And I was furloughed last month when the clinic closed its doors, hopefully temporarily.

Staying home isn't a major hardship for me, I admit.  You see my picture in the dictionary when you look up the term introvert.  A week before being furloughed I took delivery of 8 day-old chicks, who are still living in totes in my living room.  I've been able to watch them mature day by day, hour by hour, and they make me laugh.  Here's Antonio, week one and week 5 so you can see how FAST they grow!




Anxiety, depression, fear, and boredom have become familiar, just as they have for billions.  Instead of making "to do" lists, I started a spreadsheet called "Accomplishments".  Because at the end of every day I was feeling like I had done nothing.  My house was still a mess, the garden hadn't been weeded, etc.  Some days just getting out of bed is an accomplishment.  My list is mundane, like drinking water, digging up thistles in the yard, or unclogging the laundry room drain.  I find myself looking around for things to do, just so I can add an accomplishment.  Doing a sink full of dishes counts, as do scooping litter boxes.

One day I sewed a pillowcase and learned how to make a french seam.


Yesterday I saved myself a couple hundred bucks by unclogging the laundry room drain myself, with this nifty gadget you hook up to a hose.  It took a couple of tries, but my laundry room, furnace room and garage aren't flooding anymore. 

Today the only item on the list may be picking up groceries at Walmart.  And that's okay.  I've been out of the house a couple of times today just to walk outside a bit.  Both of my lilacs look like they're going to bloom this year.  I've transplanted one of them twice trying to find the right amount of sun, so that's an accomplishment!  I can see tiny leaves coming up on my radishes, and onions I forgot about last fall are popping up now.  Soon snap peas and various kinds of lettuce will adorn my plate, and I'll gorge myself on strawberries, June berries, and wild raspberries. 

It's almost time go pickup my Walmart order.  Better throw another load in the washing machine - it's an accomplishment!