Tag: Pandemic

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When I’m 64….

When I’m 64…. Today is my official Beatles Birthday! I’m stealing that moniker directly from my friend, Pam who used it to lighten her husband’s big day earlier this year. It’s #64 and for those uninitiated, the Beatles had a novelty song on their Sargent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band LP called “When I’m 64”. Originally produced in 1967, this breezy tune ruminates.. “will you still need me, will you still need me.. when I’m 64?”… And it is worth celebrating.

What I have come to discover, you are kind of the same person on the inside that you were when you were 16. I was more of a light rebel, bohemian and now… even after years of corporate torture, parenthood, and responsibility; I’m still left leaning, yoga practicing and quasi-creative. It’s been an adventure and I am extraordinarily grateful to be in this place: physically, mentally and spiritually. Getting older is full of perks and vastly underrepresented in today’s society.

First age is a privilege, there are many of my contemporaries that have not made it this far. Every day I wake up, I start with being grateful. It is a purposeful exercise, I do list 10 things that bring me happiness, joy. Some days explode with goodness and freshness, while others are stretched to: I am grateful for clean clothes and a roof over my head. Nonetheless, I have found that addressing what I have in life, rather than what is missing from it has created enormous space for growth and exploration. Psst—try it, it works.

We called it Strudelfest

As I was reflecting on this semi-milestone (because all birthdays are milestones!), it became evident what a crazy year this has been. I am one of the privileged. I do have retirement income & healthcare. I am loved and I am incredibly happy. I have autonomy, pretty much make my own decisions, and have the means to change course if necessary. I used to travel the world with great gusto. It was one of the biggest perks to not working. You have control of your time. I chose to travel and did. The last year I took a month-long European trip with my daughter, Devin that we dubbed “Strudelfest”. The objective was to explore Dutch, French, German, Swiss and Austria pastries, learn about them, maybe bake them and of course, consume them! The real treasure from our trip was the time spent together. Devin is no longer a child and I saw her expand her knowledge, gain expertise and navigate the world. Not too many parents get to witness their child’s transition to adulthood and enjoy their time together now as peers. Peers with a special relationship, oh and all while attempting to speak German. Yes, we were challenged and that was part of the fun too.

Southern Hemisphere Adventures

After that and to launch the calendar new year, I spent another month touring New Zealand and French Polynesia with my partner, Charlie. He finished a 6-month Antarctica deployment and I met him in Christchurch, NZ. He is a scientist and was studying climate, forecasting weather and essentially achieving a lifelong dream of studying this continent. He is one of the good guys, studying climate. Yes, climate change is a real thing. We spent our New Zealand time, hiking, surfing and dining on green-lipped mussels (best in the world). Tahiti was perfection. I had never been and never thought I’d get to go. This was a true Polynesian holiday, complete with fruity drinks, native dancers and the punctuated by an over the lagoon bungalow. Yes, the sunsets are as remarkable as you would think. But even more impressive, were the star scapes. I have never in my life seen stars that intense and radiant. The Southern Cross is majestic. I think time stopped for us there. It was perfection and this was March 10.

Do you have nuts?

Coming back to the US after NZ and Tahiti was surreal. Those countries were starting to experience the virus and had temperature checks at the airports and were following passengers activities post-flight. They took this unknown virus quite seriously. When returning to the US, it was different. There were no questions about the virus,  only about if we brought nuts back from Tahiti (evidently it’s a problem). We were back for 2 days and everything started to shut down. It was suddenly that serious. And here’s where we’ve been.

Let’s renovate a house… or a condo

Now, quarantine can be daunting. We had moved to our new home in August, 2019 right after my last birthday. I started this year off renovating a condo while Charlie was shipped out to Antarctica. Kitchen, two bathrooms, laundry room and all the lighting, window treatments and re-painted. Pretty much the whole place with the exception of the flooring. It was a growth experience. I used to start every day out with gratitude, then… please God, let the contractors show up today and maybe do some work too?  We had a hurricane in the middle of all of it that was the cause for the Bahamian tile guys to not work. I do know, it could have been worse. Ah, but it could have been so much better. It did finish on October 22, only a full month over schedule and we won’t discuss how much over budget. The nice part is when Charlie got home, it was his first time in his new and newly renovated home. It was a nice treat and there were no house projects.

We’re in Quarantine Mode

We were settling in. And that’s what we’ve done. He surfs, I read & do yoga. He writes, I write.  We eat dinner, take beach walks and watch America implode on TV from our living room. We are the privileged. I have learned much about what is not working in America from the “Great Pause”, including how many of our children do not get enough to eat, parents are overwrought with forced home schooling, the unemployment system has not kept up with how Americans work, the unemployment systems are vastly underfunded, people have no savings, there is not a real safety net in America, racism is still prevalent, our healthcare system is a disaster and dumbassery is widespread.   With the exception of dumbassery, there is the opportunity to overhaul our social infrastructure. I know people want to work, we have to find how they can. It might mean that our entire work paradigm may have to change, drastic times require drastic measures. And we need to be kind to each other. This time we are all going through the sh$t show. We need to listen and make sure that everyone is heard. Respect, compassion and love.

I am closing my year not the same as I started, yet am grateful to have perspective and platform to discover what the next iteration will be. Not solely for me, but for all of us. We are living in incredible times. I invite you to make a wish for the year too. We can blown the candle out together, virtually of course.

And for fun… here are the Beatles…

The Beatles- When I’m 64

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Florida in the time of Covid-19

I live in Florida.. It’s the type of place you either love or hate. The landscape is flat, trees are palms, wildlife abundant and the sky is huge. I’m fortunate to live right on the beach, so the sound of waves and smell of fresh salt air entice, calm and bring you to a state of bliss. The counter side is: it’s humid, buggy and oppressively hot. If that doesn’t scare you, it can be heaven. It’s tranquil, off the beaten path (where I am) and has a bit of grit for good measure.

Just a little back story…

Florida has always been a place where people come to forget, sometimes they start anew and then there’s the whole retirement contingent that comes for their golden years. I got here on a corporate move 23 years ago from Atlanta thinking I would be here for 18 months or so and then move back to Georgia. Things didn’t work out that way and well, I find myself retired and living a much slower life. I take beach walks, teach yoga and these days quarantined in my perfect view bubble. Florida has always enjoyed a reputation for being slightly off. Afterall, we do have Florida man, who has been known to do outrageous things in typically a drunken or drugged induced stupor that crosses the line from quirky into sheer crazy stunts. We have alligators that appear newsworthy and strut their stuff through subdivisions, golf courses and periodically eat someone’s unattended or unleashed dog. And to give equal opportunity, we have the white supremist retirees in The Villages parading in their golf carts, emblazoned with Trump flags and chants of White Power. Interesting, huh?

We win! We’re the Epicenter !! What’s the prize !

These days we have the distinction of being the country’s epicenter of the Covid pandemic. Quite the feat. Hurray us!  I’ve been sequestered since mid-March going out precisely 8 times. Four of which were medical, including two for Covid testing. When I do go out, I’m masked and carrying wipes and hand sanitizer. I even have a trash bag to put the wipes in after use. I have become everyone’s mom, prepared for anything. I’m in the “at risk” category: age and autoimmune compromised. The virus is invisible and it’s terrifying.

Free range Tourists

Being beachside, there was a false sense of security when we were on lock down. The beach was open for exercise only and people treated it as such. I live with a surfer and there is in his mind, no healthier activity than submerging oneself in saltwater repeatedly. We were isolated and doing our part to flatten the curve. Unfortunately, not everyone else is being diligent and caring to contribute to the collective. The beach did open again. The tourists returned and they brought trash, non-distanced gatherings and the Covid went up. People did return to the bars and restaurants, unmasked and congregated like this all never happened. If anything, they were squirrely due to their confinement. The city council saw masks as an inhibitor to businesses and would not pass an ordinance. It was reminiscent of the Mayor in Jaws cheering that “the water’s safe” to save their town for sudden economic doom. We all know how that ended… got to get a bigger boat.

Who’s in Charge?

I’ve been anxious to go outside. I see people gathered without masks. The beach is crowded. I’ve come to the realization that I can only affect me. It seems in an arena like a country, there would be a national outcry and consistency in approach. This is problem solving 101. The onus for policy has gone from Federal denial to State panic down to local municipalities freezing indecision to me. I am the one to make the decision how I am going to survive this pandemic. I do accept the challenge. We are paralyzed and hoping for it to just go away. Guess what? It isn’t

Real people are dying in Florida.. these aren’t numbers, they are real people

We are currently well beyond the placating ‘thoughts and prayers’ stage of this rodeo. People are dying in Florida in record numbers (cite: Dept of Health figures for July 20-29). Our governor holds daily feel good press conferences surrounded with yes-people that rarely address any issues of consequence. I know he must hate waking up and going to work every day. I’m glad he does, but this crisis is more than his political ambitions or core managerial competencies, much more. This is a flash point for all of us. These are unprecedented times, they require extraordinary measures and an electorate (that’s us) that are willing to do what it takes to support eradication. Getting tattoos, drinking in bars and meeting in home parties or restaurants aren’t going to do it. It appears that our pain threshold and quest to go back to normal is stronger than the medicine needed to cure this mess. We’re not fixing it, we’re prolonging it.

I am responsible for me.

We need to do the work together. While you ponder your contribution, I’m going to get some fashion forward masks and continue to stay inside unless absolutely necessary. Afterall,  I am responsible for me.