"The Longest Walk"

"And it must follow, as the night the day

Thou canst not then be false to any man/Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!”- Polonius- William Shakespeare's, Hamlet

I took a four mile walk today.  The sun felt like heaven on my strained and stressful face.  These past few weeks have been extraordinary.  I keep thinking to myself that these days are either going to make us all realize how fortunate we are or how angry we are.  I think that all remains to be seen.  How much time are we willing to give ourselves to evaluate and reassess our feelings, our actions, for every single thing we have done.  Or...perhaps not done.  This is a time for honest reflection.

We have been forced to slow down.  Like it or not, we have had to slow down and prioritize.  What really matters? I have some answers now:

• A belief system-I now firmly believe in a clean house.  Clean kitchen, clean laundry. Clean litter box...clean, clean, clean.  We collect so much of nothing really.  I finally realized what I can live with and what I can live without.  I am finding out I can live with a LOT less...well...except for shoes.  I draw the proverbial line with shoes.  1-800 JUNK-A-WAY is just a mere phone call to sanity.  
• I am now more than ever dedicated to spending time outside.  Extroverted people are probably being hit the hardest during these times.  The lack of socialization and the idea of being locked in place is equivalent to water board torture for us. When I get outside and walk, and walk for miles, I am healed of any pressure I may have been feeling.  Excercise also allows justification of that much deserved glass or two of Pinot Grigio.
• I REALLY appreciate food.  Good food.  Food that comes from our earth and prepared in as pure a way as possible.  Once or twice a year...I REALLY appreciate pizza...and chocolate lava cake on my birthday...and my sister's homemade brownies at Christmas and...and...and...
• "You love the one you're with..."  I have a deep premontion that many marriages will find out what they are made of at this juncture.  You look the other way.  You take care of the essentials and take care of each other.  If you are fighting a losing battle, then during this time, take a pause and figure out what matters most.  Are you at odds so you can win or prove you are right or is peace more important? 
• Teaching has given me those necessary wings of assertiveness that I never thought I had.  As it turns out, the wings were there, I just was afraid to fly.  I will never regret my teaching career.
• I marvel at the human trajectory of certain behaviors.  People have either been absolutely psychotic, particularly on the road or they have been angelic, and heaven sent.  We really don't need to be grand-standing about anything these days.  Life need not be a competition, and the most important thing we can be is mindful.  Those who are without can not compete with ego.  They just want to survive. The political landscape will resolve itself based not ego but on compassion, one would hope.  Politics is NOT appreciated nor noticed when people are suffering.
• I've never had a paranoid moment in my life.  Seriously.  I have had very little to be afraid of but now, I can honestly feel the fear circulating.  Again, true leadership requires that we get a sense of strength and comfort from those we have entrusted our vote.  I believe that's needed now more than at any time. History rewards strength not grandstanding and not ego. 

I do not understand my own lack of panic given the present climate.  I do as I have been asked to do but I have to admit that slowing down and staying put has been a gift that I will never EVER take for granted.  This period in our lives is a test of our patience, our love and our character.  We must be respectful and compassionate to everyone even when we are strangers.  This is not a time to ignore what is obviously needed most...our sense of societal and civil common sense.