Overwhelmed, The New Normal, New Skills, and Publications

Overwhelmed

With COV-19 on our doorsteps (or at least at mine in Washington State, Pierce County), it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the news, rumors, and fear going around.

I think I've been pretty overwhelmed for the past ten days.

My dad went to the ER for an erratic heart rhythm which was discovered at the beginning of a monthly procedure he has to keep his bones strong. My mom couldn't go in with him. It makes sense, but she wasn't prepared. I stayed with her for hours in the parking lot. I bought her coffee and a sandwich to go (that's the only way our restaurants and coffee shops work here now) and we ate outside on a bench next to the hospital. We talked on the phone with a cousin. We laughed. We prayed. We sang.

My dad is okay. Our lives have returned to new normal.

New Normal

My daughters are both still away from home because their college campuses are in cities where the virus hasn't hit. I talk to them every day. I would love to hug them. But I want them to stay away from the contagion zone.

This is especially true now that someone from my husband's workplace has been tested positive. My husband doesn't normally work with this person or have contact with them and the last time that person came into the office was eight days ago. It is unlikely that my husband could have caught it there, but all of a sudden, the possibility is super close. My husband is working from home this week. He works for a public utility, but is not considered an essential worker. The Zoom meetings and conference calls are continuous because he does work for a utility company. Customers still need help. Work is still ongoing. (Because we all want our electricity and internet, right?)

Meanwhile, my students (tutored, coached, and mentored) are meeting with me through Zoom.
I am doing all my property management work through phone, text, and computer apps.

We had church online. We met our life together group via Zoom. I went to a Bible study via Zoom.
Tomorrow, I will go to Bible Storytelling via Zoom. Two weeks ago, I had never heard of Zoom. Now it's part of my every day life.

New Skills

In addition to all the new normal of life, I've decided to finally just do Youtube Videos. I've been thinking about it for years. But I never did it. I know I probably should wait until I have it all figured out perfectly - in fact, my next videos will probably be of much higher quality than my first four (yes, four), but I decided to have a "Send It" attitude. They are pretty basic, just shot from my phone, but if you're interested, here's a sample:



Again, the next group of them will be of higher quality via my husband's camera (he shoots videos for dance recitals and performances). Then, I'll add in some more skills and so, onward!

PUBLICATIONS

In addition to all of the stress, I've actually had some awesome positives happen, like getting two short pieces published in the last week.

On January 16, Creative Colloquy published my short story "A Companion for the Journey." This story is about an AI and shows a slice of her life and a decision she makes. The tone is more I, Robot than Terminator.

Yesterday, The Drabble published my piece "Sticks and Stones." This short piece is a poetic prose protest about bullying and suicide. It was inspired by the poem of a friend's daughter who was dealing with the aftermath of a suicide at her middle school. Sometimes, I write fiction, and sometimes, I write from life. This is a painful, but true-to-life piece. If you read it, make sure you read to the end, which is "We cling to faith / that is all."