Tempe Tuesday Talks 5/19
Good morning and Happy Tuesday to you all! It’s been two months that we have been doing this strange thing called quarantine! I don’t know about you, but I notice that I have created new routines. Have you?
At first, it was all about reeling from the reality of this virus, staying home, relying on new technology, missing a shower or two, hanging out with the dogs, eating more carbs and so on! Then over time, slowly, I found that I was creating new routines. New habits. New rituals. Is this a typical human thing? Are we really creatures of habit? Do we crave a certain amount of routine? Are rituals important to us? Well, I think the answer is ‘yes’. Perhaps it’s about comfort and safety. Perhaps it’s just something we fall into, naturally. Perhaps it’s about keeping our lives on track to a certain extent. Like brushing our teeth, right?
Well, for me, just wanted to share some observations I have experienced about myself, my family, my friends and my neighbors. Old routine: coffee comes first. I mean literally comes first before anything. That hasn’t changed! New routine: I spend time on my front patio drinking said coffee and doing my morning ritual, which includes meditation, prayer, email reading and writing, watching funny YouTubes. Let’s face it, sometimes meditation and prayer are just not in the cards. New routine: Instead of heading to the office at 6:00 or 6:30 (yes really!), I walk Gabriel (you must know him by now!) all the way to the Tempe Town Lake and back. It’s great! I hope I maintain this one. Some other new routines include: tending to my patio garden (I always tried in the past but was too busy to pay close attention. I do now). Feeding the birds in my front yard and watching them from my home office. Thanks, Kim, for the bird feeder! Making dinner nearly every night. I binge watch some TV, putter in the kitchen and take my time making dinner instead of rushing to throw it together or to go out. (Current binge: Mrs. America). New routine: I have a few friends that I ‘hang out’ with in the afternoons when not binge watching. Over Zoom. Every Saturday afternoon, I have a Zoom get together with my UVa sorority sisters. Lots of fun, laughter, memories and sharing life as mothers, wives, professionals and women of a certain age.
Perhaps it was time to let go of some old routines. Perhaps some will stick (like the coffee!) Perhaps some of the new routines will stick or fall away. (I certainly hope I keep up the walks into downtown Tempe each morning). I see many of the same people. I hope I continue to stop and chat with my neighbors. (For those of you who know Lori Robinson, she is one of them!) I hope I continue to connect with new and old friends whether virtually or in person.
What are your new routines? What old routines have disappeared? What will stay and what will go?
This new online life will likely continue for meetings, communication and telecommuting. But how will it evolve?
Ok, so I am off to breakfast with my husband. I do miss eating out with him. We solve all the world’s problems, or so we think!
Have a great Tuesday my friends!