—Fire crackles inside our home—wife drinks lemon water in bed—dogs snore—water heats on wood stove for laundry by hand—snow falls —rooster crows—cat scratches door—
Quarantine
I quit working for a company yesterday because I
Can’t sit any longer, this body isn’t made to be sedentary.
Now I get to work from home with wife, pens, plants, animals, paper.
No more boss one, boss two, boss three
Boss four, boss five, boss six, boss seven, boss eight.
Boss 1= God (Whatever that is)
Boss 2= Wife (Sometimes seems more powerful than God)
Boss 3= Me (Who am I?)
Writing by candlelight as Corona Virus wipes out thousands. Shut down jobs, schools, parks, museums, libraries, government, Wall Street. Cruise ships full of sick humans float as lungs and hearts shut down. Two weeks ago we had 1 case in Alaska, today we have 42.
I say prayers of gratitude and relief as millions suffer worldwide.
After 13 months as a nine to fiver, driving 60 miles everyday with countless hours of unpaid worry, preparation, being told I’m not doing a good enough job, and spending, I am done; I resigned. I am back to being a full time farmer, artist, human, Dad. Back to simply being.
I laid in bed two hours feeling our baby wiggle and kick as mama breathed on my neck in a deep sleep.
The virus is coming, and what about the economy…
What really matters?
Time with loved ones. Time in silent creation. Time in prayer. Time in sobriety. Time with people who care about me. Time building snowmen with pregnant wife while songbirds sing and snow melts. Time to take long walks through our neighborhood of trees down to the melting creek to hang our feet off the bridge and listen to the water. Time to sit in the rocking chair with a book. Time to make sourdough pancakes on a Monday morning. Time to give the dog a bath. Time to water the seedlings and celebrate their growth together. Time to write emails to people I care about. Time to listen to music and play music and write songs and be grateful to be alive instead of annoyed by life.
Covid-19 has shown me how wonderful my life is. This virus has reminded me that I don’t need to buy a pop-up trailer and drive with the family to New Mexico to have fun, or fly to India to hike the Himalayas, or rent a bungalow in Panama to surf, or think about moving to Sitka to be near a very inspiring author/friend named, John Straley. No, Covid-19 has shown me how wonderful my life is right here and now. Thank you, virus, for placing a crown on my discontent. Today, I am grateful to be alive right here and now, especially after resigning from my job.
