Friday, April 10, in the year of the COVID-19. Entry Of A New Time.

By Rhett the Jett Morita TORONTO, CANADA

 

Day 34 of Social Isolation ...six trips to get food and supplies.

I was last out with friends 37 days ago.

Has anyone noticed how different time feels now, especially if you have been home from work for over three weeks? All those schedules, time frames, breakfast meetings, lunch dates, dinner conferences, late afternoon presentations, morning pitch sessions, early evening last-minute brainstorming sessions, all seem referentially structured around the time frames most firmly established in the industrial revolution. As industries started to establish themselves, bosses tried to run tight schedules over their workers' productivity, sometimes governed by natural timings, like sunrise and sunset. But in this new time, we work when it feels right or is most suitable, we eat, play, create, organize, plan, clean, sleep or veg out whenever we feel it is possible or fits. Are you naturally a morning person, or a night hawk? Are you more productive at 2 pm or 2 am?? Do you like to clean at 7 am or at 11 pm, or never (lol). Have you found yourself lost in NETFLIX at 4 am or watching an early morning news broadcast upon arising at 6 am? Have you started to casually read a book at 10 am and find yourself 2/3's finished by 8 pm? Have you started to organize a closet right after dinner and then step back from your completed little side project at 3 am?? Did you see some baking ingredients getting close to their expiration date and begin a small 'clearance bake-off' only to wrap up after 140 cookies and four hours?? Where did the time go?? 

I have learned to more deeply appreciate the little things, that can only be truly savored, and enjoyed with time, not at the hectic pace that life was driving me before, I am more relaxed ( even amidst all the chaos and uncertainty of the times ) I find each of my multiple 20- 30 second-hand washing to be something akin to meditation, an opportunity to call over the values of cleanliness and thoroughness, which is literally three to four times longer than I used to spend washing my hands before. Every meal that I cook or help prepare is a slow, careful step-by-step process that has much inner dwelling time built-in as I properly clean any fresh food. I have learned to even appreciate the 20 to 25 minute 'wipe down' of all my groceries upon returning home, something that was unthinkable and considered intolerable when I was 'speed shopping' only two months ago. Now it is an opportunity to remind myself of why I am doing what I am doing and why it is important and crucial. It also allows me an action to demonstrate my concern for the well being of my family. 

So this 'New Time" is a chance to use our most valuable commodity ( the gift of time) in new sentiment-rich ways.

No hurries, no worries. 

Cheers,

Rhett the Jett Morita

 

This diary entry is part of Kai’s collection, from an upcoming book titled The Lighthouse, his second collection of COVID-19 diary entries, this one is a collaboration of voices from around the globe. He shares with them iChongqing, and at www.theinvisiblewar.co.