Editorial: Spending Time
Whilst in quarantine, I have accomplished the following tasks: Grocery shop, cleaned my cat’s litter box, , made guacamole, got drunk, watched Frozen 2, did the dishes, played Sims, did two loads of laundry, got drunk again, bleached my hair, got drunk again, made a dank pasta salad, washed the towels, built part of a Lego Harry Potter set, watched a whole entire series on Netflix, started another one, watched GRiZ do a live stream set and then a couple days later watched him do a house set via a Twitch live stream. Then I did all of that, all over again.
Remember when we could go to shows? Pictured: GRiZ at #FreeShowsforthePeople
I’m not gonna lie, I’m going nuts. I’ve sat on my couch more than I’ve walked outside. Granted it is pretty cold out still. Even though we’re all practicing social distancing and life is changing every second, I think there’s something very beautiful that will come out of this — we come out as better humans.
Could this be the break we needed to work on our creativity? I keep seeing people posting about all the art they have time to create. There are groups being formed on Facebook where people can share what they’ve created in quarantine called Art I made Because of the Coronavirus. There’s a group called Live Stream Cover Challange! where a chain of musicians are challenging each other to perform covers of songs. As I write this, John Hanson of Iron Star is covering “Look What You Made Me Do” by Taylor Swift. There are nine live streams going on right now. Our favorite artists are playing from their freaking living rooms. Like, what a time to be alive.
John Hanson at Galactic Get Down 2019
Let’s not forget though, there’s many people working their day jobs from home. Grocery store employees are still on the front lines making sure we all have supplies. Restaurants continue to serve up food for take-out and delivery. Emergency personnel worke around the clock to find cures, test and see patients, perform surgery, give a cancer patient chemo, work with patients who need physical therapy and so much more. Life is continuing on outside of this virus.
Do some soul searching during this time. Try to think of how you can create a better version of yourself through all of this.
Take this time to write the book you always wanted to write. Take this time to learn how to play the dusty guitar you bought five years ago because you needed a hobby. Take this time to tell stories to your little ones, call your grandma and chat, text your long lost best friend and say, “remember that time you got lost in a cornfield?”
Before, life didn’t give us that time. We were too busy working 40 hours a week and then spending the weekends getting wasted, when all we really wanted to do was set up an easel and paint for 12 hours. Don’t take this time for granted.
I don’t know what the future holds, but I do now that this is not a time to hide. We may have to stay in our homes, but that’s okay. Home is where your heart is. Whether your heart is family, friends, music, art, writing, photography, videography, religion, yoga, mediation, fitness or whatever it is that fuels your passion and ignites your joy; Let that light shine.
