6-6:10pm: Narration, greetings, update on how you’re doing.
6:10-6:25pm: What was the point of that, Lawson’s book. What was her intended lesson, and what she wants us to do now?
6:25-6:40pm: Proposals … What are you going to write, and why? And by “why” I mean what’s the idea behind your idea, YOUR intention in writing it. Remember, this is an opinion paper!! A supported opinion….
6:40-7pm: Ideas for developing your writing, your idea…. What will take you to page 5?
7:7:07pm: BREAK
7:07-7:30pm: Open mic…. Our writing. Just excerpts if you want, but if you have something typed and want to post it below, feel free!
7:30-7-50pm: Define quarantine… how you have used quarantine. And if you’re working during all this, what’s that like. But even still, what is this ‘shelter-in-place’ reality, in your words?
7:50-8pm: Close up …. The night’s page.
#professormikey 
Lots of free time with everything going on. Lots of reading and writing. Finishing up on old shows. Law and Order is a trip.
If we’re talking Lawson, then I can’t help but feel like an Amish electrician. Just lost and not sure what to be looking for. She’s got a solid natural voice but the conversational sidenotes really take something from the book for me. I’m not looking to write my life story, but it’s inevitable that I might stumble into a few common tones in my writing. Like they say, “write what you know”. Hoping to discover something with tonight’s comments.
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So where are you taking us in this next essay?
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I like Sedaris quite a bit. I like his style, I like his work ethic. I get the feeling that taking the path of hard work through rewriting really brings out an identity that’s visible to both the reader and the writer. If I’m sitting at a desk writing my life and all the events therein, I get the impression that I would see the same sentences in a new way. The same events at a new angle. Maybe after ten or twenty rewrites, but eventually. That’s my route for the next essay.
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Lovely!!! Can’t wait to read it!!
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My proposal is on Lawson, how she is a feminist and humanist. I picked these topics because of how strong her writing is but also the demographics/ culture of where she grew up. I’m also a social science junkie so these were huge interests to me for that reason as well. Lawson is assertive and speaks her mind. Texas being a Republican state culturally has strong gender roles for woman and woman being that assertive and speaking their mind how it may not be socially acceptable.
Stephanie Neeley
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I really want to explain how covid has been such a disaster and how everyone is seeking an escape. Both novels offer that escape from reality…. but they actually offer more than that because they view bad situations in such a unique and humorous light and I think it is really important to try to employ that perspective in our own lives at all times, but especially now with the state of the world
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So fucking true. Right on, Rizz!!!
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For the page….. Don’t forget about narrative, what a narrative is supposed to do, and the control an author actuates in the narration. (For this next essay…)
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For the upcoming paper I’m wanting to write about the similarities and differences between Lawson and Sedaris’ mindsets when writing their books. Now obviously I don’t know exactly what they were thinking but I want to give my opinion of what they were wanting from their books and how that reflects in their writing. I’m excited to write about this because half way through reading Lawson’s book my idea of what she wanted to reader to understand and how she was writing almost completely changed. I went into the book feeling that her humor was too rough and that she wasn’t positive enough. But as the book went on her stories and even her humor became more interesting and easier to read. To me Sedaris was pretty easy for me to be interested in. There was really only one part that I wasn’t particularly fond of mostly because I couldn’t tell if he was joking of he was actually saying how he felt. But I think this is a topic I can get behind and write about for my essay.
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Write with your heart!!! You’ll convey your idea….
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For my essay I am going to write about the variety of ways that Lawson uses her humor, and what her intentions are when she includes humor in her writing. In addition, I am going to write how her unique sense of humor effects her writing, herself, and the reader.
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My ideas for developing my writing for the next essay are some I have formatted in my proposal. For the humanist part point I will be making is how direct she is, realism. For the feminist part I will discuss the culture of where she grows uo and how Lawson voices herself. Far as making it to page 5 that is something I still need to figure out.
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Nice!! Be mindful of balance in your various addresses… 🙂
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My ideas for developing my writing for the next essay are some I have formatted in my proposal. For the humanist part point I will be making is how direct she is, realism. For the feminist part I will discuss the culture of where she grows uo and how Lawson voices herself. Far as making it to page 5 that is something I still need to figure out.
Stephanie
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For this piece of writing, I’m saying that Lawson has used her novel as therapy for both herself and as an outlet for the reader. She owns herself. With her writing, she finds a friend in the reader where she couldn’t find before. Her unique perspective on everything is a gateway to sharing some of her bluntness. The honesty and bravery that Lawson presents shows her acceptance with herself, and this is unachievable without her writing. Readers are inspired by her strength, which is masked by her crazy stories and mental illness, which helps her more than it hurts. I want to develop this idea further, and want to connect more of this mask that she seems to put on to not acknowledge her bravery. Also, coming up with a defining word for Lawson herself has been a struggle. I want to incorporate perspective, and its importance, while still highlighting the difference between the sadness, shame, and embarrassment in the stories and the growth, recovery, and inspiration she provides for herself in other by sharing her truths.
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Maybe go with gutsy or fearless for your word? Something in relation to the sort of bravery you want to focus on for your topic. There’s strength in weakness, I think she shows that well, and it’s a ballsy thing to be so open/personal with your readers.
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Good ideas here, Dasha… cheers.
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I was thinking along those lines, or something like role model. Strength in weakness is very interesting, and maybe I could focus on that contrast. Thank you 🙂
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My man.
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For my essay proposal, I wrote about Jenny Lawson wanting to be as authentic as possible. Never holding back any ideas for the sake of others and not trying to appease a specific audience. Lawson’s transparency enables more freedom in her writing which is important considering that It can drastically augment the reader-writer experience and engagement.
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Define “authentic”. A word used, overused, and over-misused quite often. Not by you, but others… so please establish a definition!!
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I agree that the word is thrown around a lot. Authenticity at its core is about truth and being true to who we are and our beliefs. As writers being authentic starts by finding our voice and creating work that comes from within to create and connect others with who we actually as opposed to doing anything for the sake of others or anything that goes against our beliefs and morals.
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Voice and morals… hmmmmm…..
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I’m looking forward to this writing because there have been times where I hold back some ideas on topics. Focusing on the authenticity in our writing and the humanness it brings out when we do so will be a challenge I’m looking forward to go further into detail.
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Remember structure in the delivery of such ideas, and relating to the readers of YOUR writing.
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There is definitely an importance to the close characters of Lawson. They help her form her different perspectives upon herself. Her father defines the more different and unfamiliar side of her. Victor shows her the craziness of the rich and proper. Her mother defines the “normal” side of Lawson. Her blog friends show Lawson how normal her “craziness” is.
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Explore all facets of these statements in your essay..
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For my essay, focusing on the balance between compassion and progress will allow me to reach the 5th page. I want to develop Sedaris’s relationship with balance and how it can be applied to our lives.
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Don’t forget about YOU, and your thoughts in this writing!!
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My proposal is that Sedaris is a teacher of self-acceptance and an advocate for self-expression. I’m trying to focus on how these two ideas work together in his experience and how it can influence mine.
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For my essay, focusing on the why will assist me in reaching the 5th page. There are many facets of the “why”, and for me, the why is a completely opinionated focus. There is no way I know why they write the way they write, or know about why anyone does anything, but it is a direction that has many possibilities. 🙂
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Sounds good, friend. Looking forward to reading!!
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Take a break y’all… Find that ZEN…. see you in a bit…
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OPEN MIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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The reality
of anything real is sound,
then another click.
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For this essay, I wanted to write about how this book has been cathartic for her. She opens herself up to the world about some of the struggles she went through, but she doesn’t let them define her. Instead, she owns them. She’s so charming and full of humor, often going into tangents and I think that can sometimes distract from what she’s talking about. I want to acknowledge her struggles and how she approaches and gets past them and celebrate her for the strong woman she is.
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Yes, I love how courageous she is about herself!
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Something from my journal—-
I’ve come to the conclusion that basketball will be my post-apocalyptic skill that I contribute to society. As I was passing the time on the court across the street from my house, I wondered if I was being productive. What if society collapses tomorrow and all I’ve been working on is my jump shot? Professional athletes and college players would be needed for much more vital roles in the newfound society. This is considering they survive the riots and famine that follow the downfall of the banks and government. Our new leaders would definitely need some sort of opiate of the masses to keep the remaining population from a second uprising. I would play a key part in the need for escapism and would be necessary to our overlords. This would spare my life during the global cleansing that takes place due to lack of resources. Thank God I was able to continue to work on my shot.
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Love this, Chris… colleagues???
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I love how you made basketball and this virus so apocalyptic. That’s really how the world feels right now, made me laugh by addressing it.
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Thanks for this comment, Pasha..
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Indeed, very necessary! I don’t have anything to contribute to the collapse of society, but now I will work for one.
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I enjoyed reading this. It’s an interesting take on the idea of a post-apocalyptic world. The cliche post-apocalyptic world has people surviving, running around with guns and stuff like that. I liked how you focussed on basketball and that’s how you survive in a new world. I thought it was funny and it was different from what I’ve heard in the same genre. Nice job!!!!
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Chris, I love the dry sardonic humor in your writing. It is humorous, yet underlaid (real word??) with sad reality.
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Pretty funny, sort of on my mind as well. A roommate of mine works construction and compared to my education in computer hardware, having the know-how to build a house seems a little more valuable right now.
Since it’s sports-related and apocalypse related (two roads that don’t meet very often) it reminds me of 17776, which is this wild immersive online story that takes place in the not-so-far future where people live forever and they spend a huge part of their eternity doing the same thing they did with mortality- obsess about football. If you like any sci-fi and football, give it a shot.
Thanks for sharing.
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In my Gender Studies class, Counseling 20, we discuss the impact of toxic masculinity thoroughly. By telling boys from birth that they need to be tough, aggressive, strong, brave, unemotional and physically dominant, we are creating a whole gender of unhealthy beings, a society of unrealistic standards. Sedaris grew up with a father who was the book definition of toxic masculinity. He defined being masculine as resenting the feminine. By enforcing masculinity and shaming one for femininity, not only are you damaging the mental and physical health of boys, but you’re completely degrading the ENTIRE female gender.
From a young age Sedaris was not seen as man enough by his father. The reoccurring issues of their relationship heavily involves masculinity and disappointment. Sedaris was not the star athlete, he was not the traditionally sex driven, loud, rough teenage boy. He was never like that. He was an artist. His thought process was thought out, was full of wit, and was his passion. He wasn’t heartbroken by the fact that he wasn’t a swimmer. He was upset about his father’s disappointment, but more than that he was upset about not being accepted as he is. As his stories progress his dad continues to be the root of a lot of personal issues, whether that be shame, guilt, or pain. His father does not boost him up, but tear him down. The novel, in my opinion, was written to console himself in regards to his childhood. He wanted a way to self soothe and see his upbringing in a comedic light. By being humorous, he allowed himself to discuss the moments that hurt and laugh. As he shares his stories both by writing and verbally, he heals a piece of himself and brings joy to those around him through something he’s passionate about. He is accepted by everyone who finds joy in his work, in his challenges, and in his life. This is essentially what I will be focusing on (fatherly relationships).
(this is an excerpt from my proposal)
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So much yes. So much THIS. Thank you for posting, kind friend…
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Wow, totally true! I feel that.
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As do I. RESPECT.
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For tonight’s page….. Writing freely is not the same as “freewriting”.
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(An excerpt from my proposal…)
I will be honest and admit something I didn’t know. I hate admitting that I don’t know something, because I like to think I’m pretty smart, but I will, for the sake of growth. During our one or more of our meetings, a few colleagues mentioned Lawson’s ability to break the fourth wall. Until today, when I looked it up on Google, I had absolutely no idea what that meant. Pretty sad, huh? However, after looking it up, I have come to realize that she does, in fact interact with her audience directly, as if she was having a conversation with the reader. I feel that to be perhaps the biggest difference between her and Sedaris. While she transports the reader to her world by speaking to them directly, Sedaris brings them into his world by setting the scene and painting a picture.
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Life is learning, sweet friend… 🙂
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This is my first time trying to do some short of creative writing in this format so I though I would give it a try.
From one day to another it was a tunnel with no end or light in sight. Actions, thoughts and feelings were consistent and dominate. Hurt, extreme pain hand down through generations. Addictive personalities in many forms being passed along to younger generations. From a young age trying to escape the pain and the fear. An elementary age child trying to commit suicide because the abuse won’t stop. The child thinks life is over for her one day to the next. As time passes worse things get. Growing up homeless, lack of food and lack of safety. How does a child learn who to trust? The child learns who to blame for their decisions not knowing what life has in store for her. As the child grows up she wonders how she will get out of poverty, how do I break the cycle comes to her mind. How do I find my own way? From poverty to foster care to college off she went. Struggles continue she found a way to free herself from the abuse. Now how to get out of poverty? From no support going into adulthood. All nighter began and suddenly her life changed through education. All her coping mechanisms from abuse tend to disappear, the emotional pain was disappearing. As she grew up the light at the end of the tunnel appeared. Her struggles turned into blessings for others who discovered her past. Little did she know having to find her own way ended up being able to help others coming from a different background. People who started to have more life experience ending up in abusive environments turned to her. Not knowing how she could come up with things not understanding how much they came from two very different backgrounds. She was street smart from the way she grew up and ended up being able to help others from her struggles.
Stephanie Neeley
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Love this… colleagues??
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That’s beautiful Stephanie! Full of pain and hope!
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Agreed. Nice rhythm and tone…
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It’s very poetic and mesmerizing. It makes me want to read more and know more about the person.
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Very kind, Chris. Thank you for these words.
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That was great. Life can be very tough on us, but there is always someone else who could be helped by sharing what you have learned along the way. Thank you for sharing this.
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The only thing I’m thinking about, is tomorrow. Honestly. The coffee, the writing, the reading of Anne Frank… the run. Today got in 7, and I still feel like I should have done more. This covid thing, and it’s only a thing in this writer’s head-street, is nothing more than a thing. A topic if I allow.
Kids out for a walk, and me in here doing business as I usually do… moving money, buying wine, communicating with partners… and wine, you know I’m tasting some. The rest of that blend from last night. Wish I could have been in the vineyard at 4 or 5-whatever in the morning when then lots were laid in bin.
I keep coming back to crushpad, to the cement surface at whatever winery… Watching them work, me writing, sipping something then coming home and telling the babies about the fruit I saw.. showing them pictures of the clusters in the gondola.
I stop sipping, stop scribbling.
Just see.
Me, by that creek, the block of 115 Pinot. Then what. There doesn’t need be an answer.
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For some reason I’m reading this and imagining an old Noir movie character narrating his thoughts in the rain under a street light. Not the wine Noir but the film genre.
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Yes!! That’s an awesome visual! Well put 🙂
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COME ON Y’ALL, WAKE UP!!! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE FUN PART OF CLASS… OPEN MIC!!!!
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When all is said and done, at the end of the day, I am grateful. My son remembers the traditions of family and asked to come over for Easter dinner. While my family is not actively religious, the aspect of tradition brings us all together. My mom in the kitchen making things that smell good, my dad watching wood working shows on YouTube to keep him out of the kitchen. We have an old saying “too many cooks in the kitchen.” 🙂 We gather in the dining room, because it’s a special time. We eat silently, full of gratitude that we have food to eat, and loved ones to hold, if only at times, from a distance. Later we Zoom my brother and aunt and uncle, and it seems almost like they are here in person, if you squint your eyes a little and imagine. Then the moment has passed. The night wraps up, and I am still grateful. Grateful for our health, the fact that I am still employed, and that my loved ones are safe.
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Love this. Thank you for sharing.
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Writing down things that I’m grateful for and then rereading them has helped me when I forget that I HAVE things to be grateful for. This reminded me of that. I almost forgot that yesterday was Easter and that I got to see my family for a little bit. Thanks Theresa
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Quarantine is a period of isolation from the rest of the population. During this pandemic I have used the word quarantine casually at times and in other circumstances very seriously when speaking with a patient. I work at an orthopedic surgeons office as a Medical Assistant. This Covid-19 pandemic has made work difficult. At first we saw a large decline in our cases as a lot of patients preferred to stay home. The patients we did get were those that did not care about the virus, those who believed it was a hoax, and others who believed Bill Gates had somehow been the cause of it. Patients would come in and cough and would be turned away by the receptionist and others (who made it past the receptionists) would cough while I was taking their blood pressure and say it was their smoker’s cough. Thank goodness I have been wearing my mask since Covid-19 began to be a concern. The clients that we see now are very aware of others and have mostly come in with masks on. In light of the pandemic I am thankful that I have a source of income even though it is reduced and comes with some risk.
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Great piece. Colleagues…..?
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It does seem like most people are being more aware of others and taking this more seriously. I went to Target the other day and everyone was wearing masks except for me so I ran out to my car and wrapped a shirt around my face.
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Quarantine has been a word with many definitions. Some people treat it loosely, some as law. I appreciate your risks that you take, and I think if people don’t need to take those risks, they shouldn’t. AKA, quarantine should be more of a serious word, and especially now that we know how serious it can get, it’s important to recognize that shift to encourage it more. Good piece 🙂
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Many definitions, yes. But ultimately WE define it, and what is decided and how we decide its voice in our elevation and immediacy.
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Quarantine is a place where pjs are mandatory and showers are optional. Lol quarantine is a strange form of suspended universe where everything that used to be socially frowned upon is now accepted. I have mixed feelings about quarantine because in a way it is an introverts dream, but I wish I was able to be working and more importantly, I wish that everyone wasn’t struggling. I worry about all of my friends in the service industry as they are not as lucky as I to live with my parents. The reality of shelter in place means: netflix cooking shows, homework/class, snacks, phone games, snacks, pjs, snacks, dog walks, snacks, and cooking. It’s kind of sad I haven’t been more productive with this time. I feel like I should be at the very least excelling in my classes, but I’ve been distracted by absolutely nothing.
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PJs are mandatory! We just have to change out of them every once in a while. 😉
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Yes!!!
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An introverts dream, so true! I do hope those who are affected by the insanity of the quarantine can find their lives again afterwards!
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Being distracted by nothing is such a human trait, that everyone experiences. I want to explore this more. The suspended life we live in is like a dream, but it’s somehow all so real at the same time. Really hard to analyze something you never thought could happen to you. Our realities are pretty similar too, haha
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Analysis is not the objective. Heartfelt acknowledgment is.
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Quarantine is a time where we all can have time to sit and think about ourselves, our lives. He can finally have the time we say we don’t have. We have the time to try something new, think about our purposes, and think about our futures. We can understand what we are missing in our lives and what in life is special to us. Toilet paper, napkins and paper towels of course, but other than that! We have the time to plan out the rest of our lives and set goals. We are given the opportunity to see how crazy the world can get.
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Quarantine to me is opportunity.. collection… a sabbatical of sort. No despair in my air….
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This shelter in place realty is something I have experienced from the beginning of junior college. Other than traveling for vacation and online classes, my life has not changed much from the beginning of my college experience. Not that the shelter in place has shown my how unhealthy I have been living this time of my life. I am finding different hobbies and interests that will be something other than school and sleep.
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Good for you. Stay ALIVE, stay animated and active…
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This entire experience has proverbially illustrated that time is conceptual AND actual. That we can act as we wish.. and that we only have the time that we have. See all moments as significant…
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I find myself thinking of fall. The normalcy that it invites, hopefully, by then, I’ll be back in a routine, one that doesn’t consist of walking around my house in a robe for days on end. I want to be back on campus, getting pizza bagels and coffee in the mornings, hanging out in the library, laughing at the ridiculous group names my friends come up with for trivia night. I even miss circling around the parking lot for half an hour, too stubborn to just go to the garage because of the walk, even though it’s only an extra five minutes. I miss running into people I haven’t seen in a while, or nervously awaiting the days where I get to see the ones that make my day when I see their name pop up on my screen. I miss being busy, getting ready everyday, and having things to look forward to because right now, this feels endless. So all I can do is think of fall, and hope by then I can start to feel like myself again.
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Yes.. Fall has a romantic light, for sure.. colleagues?
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I think a romantic light is the perfect description for the season !!
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Fall is my favorite time of year. Hopefully all will be settled and a better normal than before. I feel like what was normal before wasn’t necessarily working, and despite the inconvenience at times the quarantine has brought, I feel that normal has to change.
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To me, quarantine is a time to reexamine what we love and care about. As our world is so busy, its nice to have time away from the bustle and look back.
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Quarantine is an opportunity to relax, reflect, and rethink. It allows us to look under the surface of our daily lives and exposes what is working and what we can do better. Sitting back and having periods of reflection has taught me that I’ll come out on the other side of this with better perspectives and more gratitude for what is around me. Quarantine is an opportunity to go into it the person you are and come out the person you aspire to be.
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Quarantine is ONLY opportunity.
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I couldn’t agree more. Make the best out of all this time in our hands.
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Here is a random journal entry, just having fun.
Bloody hell. That is my new favorite word, or phrase. I don’t think it is a single word, it is two. Bloody hell is the replacement for the f-word from here on out. This is an executive order of the highest importance!! The f-word is too aggressive and degrading, and frankly it doesn’t sound as cool as bloody hell. Slowly but surely, I am on track to replacing all of my swear words with awesome phrases like bloody hell. This will be a great journey to embark on during these difficult times. Not only does that sound way classier, but it is also fun to say. Bloody hell!!! Ok, in all seriousness I have to turn my focus to replacing the s-word. It won’t be easy, but I am always up for a good challenge. So, challenge accepted! Ok. Now, all jokes aside. I have to go to the bathroom….Bloody hell, that was a great bathroom break. Should I write about what went on in there? Is that something that people write about? In todays journal—Awesome bowel movement!! Man, what a title that would be. I would totally read that entry. Ohhhh, should I start giving my entries a title? Yes, the answer is absolutely yes. Todays title will be Bloody Hell! But I am not going back just to give it a title. That seems like a lot of work and frankly I am above that shit. Oh, bloody hell, I said the s-word. I am just going to delete that, but, then that makes this sentence obsolete. Bloody hell, who cares right? It is my journal and I make the rules. In this kingdom there is no democracy. I shall rule with an iron fist. I hope I don’t become Hitler. I mean, how in the hell would that be possible? It is a journal, how can that turn me into Hitler? I guess weirder things have happened, like pineapple pizza. Whoever came up with that brilliant idea must of been the reincarnation of Hitler. I am sure of that. I don’t know which is worse, being held responsible for the death of millions, or pineapple on pizza. I don’t think that is a fair question though (obviously the pineapple on pizza, like, what the bloody hell dude?). Oh, and by the way, I totally aced my Econ midterm! Oh, and also my math midterm! Man, I should of started with that. Bloody Hell!
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RESPONSES??????
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Love this!!!!
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I can’t figure out how to reply to your last reply because I’m 90 and can’t navigate the internet. Apparently. But you must be telling me you’ve never had Hawaiian pizza because that stuff is godly.
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Or Satanic. And why are you talking sh/t about age? Aren’t you like, whatever young number? I’m old AF. Don’t disrespect..
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Pineapple pizza slaps. Don’t @ me.
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Pineapple pizza is WHACK. And I will ‘@’ you. Get at me..
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Mikey is right… Pineapple on pizza is immoral.
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Ava… you’re kind. Was playing with Dahsa… quite comical how this is not so much our new “normal”, but our new everything, talking over a blog and shit and not being able to talk to my colleagues, face avec face … And honestly, I won’t front, I had pineapple on pizza the other night son, real talk..
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This is great! Bloody hell is a “term of all trades” if you will. Side Note: I too found a word that I liked. Gorp -a mixture of dried fruit and nuts eaten as a snack food by hikers and campers; trail mix.
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GORP (Granola, oats, raisons, and peanuts) is part of a skit on jimmy fallon!!
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You can tell this is straight from the dome. Actually replacing Fuck with Bloody Hell each time makes it funny to imagine what you really mean. It’s almost as if someone told you to connect Hitler, pineapple on pizza, and your new swear word Kevin Bacon style, but you spewed it from your head more like Lawson. I like this
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Haha your journal entry was great! Your Hitler rant made me chuckle. Also, I love saying bloody hell. It’s very English
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Me too… I’m like, “Oh bloody hell this wine is too acidic!!”
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Quarantine is not entirely bare essentials, but cutting out excess. No walking around in the mall or going to movies or distracting myself with the next THING that will bring me joy for an hour or two. It’s sitting with what I have and who I get to be with and it being enough. It’s a test of imagination and ingenuity. It’s seeing if I like who I am and a taking deep delve in my mind. It’s a time for reflection and peace. I choose to perceive it as this rather than as the world crumbling around me.
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Analysis is not the objective. Heartfelt acknowledgment is.
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Quarantine is a trip. It feels like summer when it’s warm and winter when it’s cold. Maybe this is due to my (mostly) flexible schedule. I have no problem staying inside and doing things that bring me joy, but on the warm days there’s outdoor opportunities. I have been a lot healthier mentally since getting to lay low, but at this point I am doing my best to go with the flow and not lose my marbles. While I miss the hustle and bustle of normal life, the calm and quiet of life in quarantine had been a healthy relief. It reminds me of the ocean. Everything comes in waves and we take them one at a time in order to float on top of them as opposed to sinking down below them. We have to be fluid at this time. We have to accept the waves as they come and do our best to float atop them and allow the sun to shine down on us on the warm days.
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I fell victim to going with the flow as well and found myself, introverted as can be, losing my mind during the first few weeks. It is funny i actually pointed this out in one of my journals, and simply realized ‘hey, this is actually kind of awesome for us introverts’.
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The shelter in place/quarantine has definitely improved the creative aspects of my life. Being an introvert, life has not changed dramatically for me, but I did like having the option of going places. Sheltering in place has rekindled my love of baking, crochet and other crafty projects which is great. However, I cannot escape the processing dreams! Unconscious ponderings of apocalyptic scenes and strange places fill my mind at night. My imagination runs wild, and not in the positive manner I sometimes have to force myself to feel while I’m awake.
The quarantine has made me more patient with my child, as we are both in this together. This brand new, never before seen (in my lifetime) circumstances, as we both attempt to settle into a pattern.
Unfortunately, it has caused some tension between myself and my father. I currently live with my parents, for lack of a different, healthy living situation, and I am so glad to be here with them. But my dad and I share similar faults and miscommunications have been running a bit rampant.
I hope to leave this quarantine with a greater understanding of self, and who I am when there’s no one else around, and nothing else to do but to sit with my thoughts (well and work full time and homeschool…). In the quiet of night, who am I?
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Encouraging and contemplative… thank you for this!!!
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Quarantine feels like everything is on pause.. Except it’s not and life is definitely still happening. It’s a strange time. I’ve been working from home and as grateful as I am to even have a job still, it’s definitely not the same. I’ve been doing lots of translating, calling parents about services we’re still offering, and working with teachers to get through this, but I miss just being with my little ones who always put a smile on my face. The reality of all this is, at least for me, is to slow down. I’ve always kept so busy so having this much time on my hands is pretty new for me. It means spending time with your family (or whoever you’re quarantined with), appreciating the little things and most importantly! Slowing down and taking the time to care for yourself and your wellbeing, whether that’s through being productive and learning a new skill or picking up a new hobby or not doing anything at all, and being okay with it.
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I have used quarantine to learn my version structure. My days were being held up by a schedule of places I had to be and fell apart at first during the quarantine. With everything else out of the way, I can work with myself on balancing school, work and relaxing. School sort of did part of this for me with physical classes so I had to attend. I’m still working on waking up earlier and remembering to eat during the day now that there are not set times for these things.
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Quarantine to me is a huge eye opener for our society. What was once frowned upon is our new temporary norm. It’s a huge eye opener for our economic and health care systems. The united states has one of the lowest amounts of hospital beds in the world. Plus the idea of single player health care was brought up before. It’s a struggle to stay focused and productive. It’s a crazy time and how does hoarding toilet paper go with it? Also it shows that people who aren’t in a professional career field which is defined by a bachelors degree or higher are most of the people completely out of work unless they’re in a medical field. United Nation also has reported domestic violence calls have gone up 50% and suicide calls have increased as well. How is society preparing to help people going through extra trauma during this time. Which will also cause addiction rates to rise. I do believe this time is to reflect on our personal lives as well and is great time to take advantage of self care routines. Relax daily even with one movie or whatever someone preference is.
Stephanie Neeley
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This coming week I to be more productive. I’m drawing up a calendar with everything I need and want to get done. I feel like with everything going on I’ve been falling behind and that is such a stressful feeling. I’m wanting to plan out my days so that not only will I get all the work I need to get done for my classes done, but I will also be keeping up with my physical and mental health. Balancing all of this can be very difficult for me and I feel that a lot of times I put my health on the back burner so to speak. So my main goal is to make it a habit to not only plan out each and every week with what I need to do for school, work and myself, but to also follow that plan and see the results of my work.
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Teach us some new habits, Jess!!!
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Thoughts from my journal…
Don’t like the way this whole quarantine is portrayed in the media. Social distancing shouldn’t mean social isolation. Take this time to connect with those who’ve we’ve wanted to spend time with but for some reason or another haven’t been able to. I’ve been taking this time to connect with people who I haven’t seen since last year and friends halfway across the globe who I haven’t seen in 3 years. Don’t isolate! I’ve been thinking about something my math teacher said about Newton. He discovered gravity and developed calculus all while being in quarantine. Not saying that I’ll invent the next best thing but use this time to grow, develop and do something productive. Maybe now we’ll be able to clean out the garage or fix the shed we’ve been putting off for a year. This is a challenge new to all of us but at the end, we’ll come out stronger than before. We just gotta take it one day at a time.
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Let’s wrap it up y’all, what’s on the page??
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Writing freely is not the same as “freewriting”.
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On the page:
Forget arguing. Stay in the way of communicating.
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And stay in your OWN way. Don’t be convinced or coaxed by others. Always trust in and be touched by SELF.
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Forget arguing. Stay in the way of communicating.
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DRAFT DUE NEXT MEETING!!!!!! OMG, please don’t forget!!!!
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Working is odd right now, Just odd. 10 minutes are gone from my commute but the roads are lonely and feel darker. They’re almost dull. I never thought about the fact that the paint on cars had become a color variation that I expected to see. I’m becoming a pro at making alcohol wipes for work but my hands are sore from the amount we use on our skin. I’m thankful for my N95 mask, provided by the boss to all employees. I try not to think about my anxiety level if I didn’t have it. We are practically breathing on each other but that has to be let go.
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The new reality… I feel this.
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5 full pages or on the beginning of the 5th page?
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Touch the 5th page!!!!
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Truth is important in the creation of a narrative
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