Social distancing is hard. Period. It is hard on all of us, from the office staff to teachers, from people who work for the government to those who are self-employed. I have never thought that one day I actually would have to stay home and consider work-from-home to be the new normal.
At the beginning of 2020, I decided to quit my job in order to find a new one and try to set up my soap-making business at the same time. But out of nowhere, a new wave of Covid (thanks to patient no.17!), everything was shut down nationally. 3 flea markets, where I could be able to sell lots of products, were canceled. No job vacancies were found so my CV was still left untouched. And I, from a 9-5 guy, turned into a jobless person just in a blink of an eye. I was shocked because things happened so fast that I did not even have time to stop to think of my next move but only be wrapped up the chaotic thoughts about what I had done wrong.
During those months of staying home, I was desperate to find a job that could pay the bills, feed my dog, and…well…wake me up at 7 every day. But Covid seemed to hit my country severely this time so that I was not the only one who had been kicked out from the circle so I turned from a person who enjoys going out, hanging with my friends at cafes, wandering around the city, to someone who prefers staying home.
And then I found out that…
- I LOVE INDOOR PLANTS – Honestly, I don’t think trees or plants are supposed to be indoor and humans have brought them in from nature. But thanks to that, my room now is filled with so many kinds of plants. Monstera deliciosa, Monstera adansonii, pothos satin, golden pothos…to name a few. I would never have found out that I actually could grow plants from seeds if it hadn’t been for social distancing. I would have still been drowned in the thought that planting would always be my no-trespassing zone. Looking at a new stem or leaf coming out from the big plant is a feeling that I will never forget. It feels like I finally have the ability to break the spell or curse. It feels like I actually am accredited for what I’ve done (and done well!) and that has just put a stop to self-doubt thought that had been a struggle for a really long time.
- MY FAMILY GOES FIRST – I have always been a family guy. I always trade a hangout time with friends for a nice dinner gathering with my family. But during Covid, I realized that nowhere else but my family is the only place I want to return to. It doesn’t mean that I don’t have close friends per se, but my friends have their own problems, and the thing that differentiates friends and family is that my family always considers my ups and downs theirs.
- I LOVE MY DOG MORE. My dog will turn 5 this November, and during the five years living with him, I have seen myself changing from a normal single guy to a nearly-40-year-old single dad. My first thought of the day used to be what to eat or where to hang out, but now that drastically flipped to what my dog wants to eat or if he liked his new showergel…or why his poop looks so right (yeah! I am worried about his poop’s color). I used to leave him alone when I went to work, but now, I stay home all day with him and bring him along whenever I go. To the market near my home or when I deliver my soaps to customers. And the good thing is he actually does enjoy it very much and lots of my customers so get used to his face that they ask me about him when they see me alone. I guess this is called…fatherhood maybe?
- ALL THE SHOPS ARE NOT THAT INTO ME. If you saw the version of me before 2015, you would know why I said this. I used to be a shopaholic, not to the point where Sophia Kinsella’s character is, but believe me, my name is on the VIP lists of many menswear shops and I always got invited to private-sale events by a couple of brands. But from 2015, during the time I was living in London, my mind swifted. I realized I didn’t need that many clothes. I could live happily (and healthily) without paying too much attention to how I would look when going out. And more importantly (and somewhat sadly!), I am not that needed with all the shops and brands that I once had me as their VIP. They obviously don’t live on the cash I pay them, they of course have more valued customers to take care of, and without me, the sun still rises every day, and vice versa, I can live without shopping. Now I still wear the clothes I bought 7 years ago, and still look good (thanks to my wardrobe and my carefulness) and still feel happy and fully charged when I go out.
Covid-19 will not disappear. It is not just my belief but a fact that has been said by professionals. We still don’t have the cure but only the vaccine and as long as we don’t get vaccinated, we are still walking on the edge of a safety boundary since we don’t know how severely it would affect us. Each individual is different. But we cannot stand still until the brighter days come. We cannot wait until the days are not hard on us anymore to be happy.
Tomorrow still comes no matter what. Humans still move on. And have to.
And so do I.
ilife.ijourney 