Post by 31Airborne on Sept 2, 2020 11:59:35 GMT -5
I've been thinking about doing this for a while. I'm at a point where I believe I have enough to share or hi-lite without being too provocative or goofy. Just one dood's view of life in a[nother] challenging time.
Have you noticed the wildflowers this year? Seems to me they're way more prevalent. All kinds of colors, too - purples, yellows, reds, oranges, and whites. All shapes and sizes. The activity restrictions in our area, esp early on in this ordeal, kept folks from mowing places where the wild flowers usually grow. In return we've been rewarded with an explosion of beauty and resilience. Good things, I believe, in an era when our mortality is placed into question with every news cast or political announcement. In years past I would've missed seeing wildflowers. Maybe they've always been there, maybe not. Either way, I'm grateful for the omnipresent signs of life. Being shut in has a way of making you a bit more appreciative of things you might take for granted.
How does your honey-do list look? I exhausted mine in April. Now I'm deep into the nice-to-do list. Over the course of working thru projects big and small I've come to re-appreciate my home. It isn't anything special really but it is home. Sprucing it up, doing the little repairs and updates, and seeing it all shiny and orderly gives me cause to enjoy the safety, warmth, and comfort it provides. It's given me a deeper appreciation for what I have and what it took to find this place, get to a point where it's what I've always wanted in a home.
Working from home has been a boon for me. I'm way more productive and responsive. I don't have the drive-by distractions and last-minute pleas for inputs that should've been sent out weeks before (but got lost because the action owner was too busy being distracting instead of working). The lack of clutter on the calendar has freed up time to work on, further develop longer range plans. I've been able to do some serious revisions on our business strategy and develop detailed strategic communications plans. I'm deeply involved in a campaign that'll celebrate our teammates' achievements and courage during this trying time. I've also been able to dedicate more time to mentoring. There are couple dozen up-and-coming young professionals I've been working with over the 11 years I've been in industry. Having the time to dive deeper into conversing and coaching will hopefully make a difference as they move onward and upward.
My youngest daughter arrived midday this past Saturday. This is the third trip she's made to my house this madness began. She's been very responsible every time - quarantines and gets a COVID test before leaving, maintains her room and space (something I could never get her to do when she lived at home). While the usual routine of hugs and our secret handshake have been modified to accommodate the times her presence has help fill a void left in the wake of shut-downs and social distancing. I've come to better appreciate what cool people my daughters are.
I run or walk after my gym workouts, usually 6 days a week. We have an incredible trail network in our part of VA and I've taken advantage of every opportunity I can get out to explore it. Before COVID you could go for miles without anyone speaking (unless it was someone I knew, and even then it wasn't always a guarantee). Now, everyone I see on the trail, the sidewalk, or the road speaks or waves. Complete strangers stop and offer a warm greeting and a word of encouragement. Cyclists are more attentive to dismounted people, offering passing warnings to every person or group they encounter. People stop and pick up bits of trash. Pet walkers police up after their dogs and dispose of the waste properly. It's evident folks have missed human interaction. I hope this passion carries over to the post-COVID era.
I have great passion for food and cooking. Over the years I've collected all kinds of kitchen toys and tools, spices, sauces, and oils. Most of these were bought without a thought of ever using them. I like to cook therefore I must have this. Pretty simple, right? Well, my pantry got to a point where I didn't have room for daily stuff. I started looking at things I hadn't used recently (ever). In a matter of a minute or two I found a dozen things that had expired, all in one little section. I decided to purge the pantry and cup boards of all out-of-date stuff. The pantry took the better part of one morning. The cupboards took that afternoon. The refrigerators and freezers took another day. I'm ashamed to confess how much I threw away. The good news is I now have room for more stuff! And the process keeps on rolling.
Have you noticed the wildflowers this year? Seems to me they're way more prevalent. All kinds of colors, too - purples, yellows, reds, oranges, and whites. All shapes and sizes. The activity restrictions in our area, esp early on in this ordeal, kept folks from mowing places where the wild flowers usually grow. In return we've been rewarded with an explosion of beauty and resilience. Good things, I believe, in an era when our mortality is placed into question with every news cast or political announcement. In years past I would've missed seeing wildflowers. Maybe they've always been there, maybe not. Either way, I'm grateful for the omnipresent signs of life. Being shut in has a way of making you a bit more appreciative of things you might take for granted.
How does your honey-do list look? I exhausted mine in April. Now I'm deep into the nice-to-do list. Over the course of working thru projects big and small I've come to re-appreciate my home. It isn't anything special really but it is home. Sprucing it up, doing the little repairs and updates, and seeing it all shiny and orderly gives me cause to enjoy the safety, warmth, and comfort it provides. It's given me a deeper appreciation for what I have and what it took to find this place, get to a point where it's what I've always wanted in a home.
Working from home has been a boon for me. I'm way more productive and responsive. I don't have the drive-by distractions and last-minute pleas for inputs that should've been sent out weeks before (but got lost because the action owner was too busy being distracting instead of working). The lack of clutter on the calendar has freed up time to work on, further develop longer range plans. I've been able to do some serious revisions on our business strategy and develop detailed strategic communications plans. I'm deeply involved in a campaign that'll celebrate our teammates' achievements and courage during this trying time. I've also been able to dedicate more time to mentoring. There are couple dozen up-and-coming young professionals I've been working with over the 11 years I've been in industry. Having the time to dive deeper into conversing and coaching will hopefully make a difference as they move onward and upward.
My youngest daughter arrived midday this past Saturday. This is the third trip she's made to my house this madness began. She's been very responsible every time - quarantines and gets a COVID test before leaving, maintains her room and space (something I could never get her to do when she lived at home). While the usual routine of hugs and our secret handshake have been modified to accommodate the times her presence has help fill a void left in the wake of shut-downs and social distancing. I've come to better appreciate what cool people my daughters are.
I run or walk after my gym workouts, usually 6 days a week. We have an incredible trail network in our part of VA and I've taken advantage of every opportunity I can get out to explore it. Before COVID you could go for miles without anyone speaking (unless it was someone I knew, and even then it wasn't always a guarantee). Now, everyone I see on the trail, the sidewalk, or the road speaks or waves. Complete strangers stop and offer a warm greeting and a word of encouragement. Cyclists are more attentive to dismounted people, offering passing warnings to every person or group they encounter. People stop and pick up bits of trash. Pet walkers police up after their dogs and dispose of the waste properly. It's evident folks have missed human interaction. I hope this passion carries over to the post-COVID era.
I have great passion for food and cooking. Over the years I've collected all kinds of kitchen toys and tools, spices, sauces, and oils. Most of these were bought without a thought of ever using them. I like to cook therefore I must have this. Pretty simple, right? Well, my pantry got to a point where I didn't have room for daily stuff. I started looking at things I hadn't used recently (ever). In a matter of a minute or two I found a dozen things that had expired, all in one little section. I decided to purge the pantry and cup boards of all out-of-date stuff. The pantry took the better part of one morning. The cupboards took that afternoon. The refrigerators and freezers took another day. I'm ashamed to confess how much I threw away. The good news is I now have room for more stuff! And the process keeps on rolling.