Letters From Inside the House: Day 27 of Quarantine

If, like me, you’ve been social distancing and adhering pretty strictly to the “stay at home” rule, you might be going a teensy, tiny bit stir crazy. If like me, you’re helping to home school your kid/kids for the first time, you might be, like me, tottering on the line between “I’m brilliant” and “How am I even wearing clothes?”

This “new normal” (whatever the hell that means) is an interesting paradigm of working to think bigger while being smaller. Who would have thought that we’d be living in a time where a trip to the grocery store was fruitful AND terrifying. 

Let’s face it, living with people under usual circumstances is impossible. But now! All of those varied ideas, egos, wills, wants and desires different than my own, yet forced to stay in the same space for God knows how long…sheesh! How will they continue to understand how right I am if they can’t actually go away and think about it?!

My business has done a bit of a crash, in that every gig I had booked for months is now postponed or cancelled. And frankly, woe to one more article/podcast/Facebook live post that encourages me to pivot and “…take the opportunity to consider growth in different directions…” Is it possible to get social media road rage?

What I can tell you is that I’m trying my best for myself and my family. And that effort has taken some strange turns…

The dog, whose name is Sunflower, has also been sanctioned Princess Fluffy Butt, Floofy Girl, Sunny Bunny and The Fluffy Nugget. We have fun.

I’ve been working diligently to help my daughter complete her schoolwork and figure out ways to supplement it so her brain doesn’t turn to mush. We’ve instituted a Home Economics component which, in the first two weeks of quarantine included conversations about using a checking account, conscious credit use and how to properly thaw meat. I’m running out of ideas…

Two days ago we researched and created a dog friendly weed killer for our stone patio with ingredients we already had. I’m happy to report it was a success and the pink Himalayan epsom salts stuck in the back of bathroom vanity for the last three years have finally gotten their moment in the sun. This is a true story.

I’m continuing to shoot and publish a bunch of quick, amusing (according to me) soft skills videos, and I’ve made progress on the book I’m writing. Those processes have been helpful in keeping my business present in the world, not to mention bolstering my own brain-to-mush ratios.

I’ve watched the entire 3rd season of Ozark and most of the new season of Nailed It! I’ve read five or six books and I record and devour way too many home renovation shows. I have a LOT of ideas.

I’ve cracked open bottles of wine we were saving for “special occasions” because, why not, and why not now? I make a point to video chat frequently with my friends and loved ones. I think I see them more now than I did before Covid-19, and that is a wonderful thing.

Because, we’re not alone. We may be distant and isolated and doing difficult, new things, but we are together, doing the best that we can.

LB Adams is the Founder of Practical Dramatics, headquartered in Charleston, SC.  Her company provides stellar training events that utilize theatre strategies to help humans grow more profitable conversations with other humans, Check out Practical Dramatics’ YouTube channel for a variety of Snack-Sized Skills for the Pandemic videos.