To step away from the chatter...

I am overflowing with gratitude today for all the folks out in the world who are helping ALL of us survive this difficult time - whether it’s the clerks at the market and drugstore, the postal deliverers, the “product” deliverers...and of course the doctors and health care providers who must stay at their posts…

And I’m thinking of all the business offices we rely upon that have reverted to working from home - somehow, I pray together they, and we, will keep our world afloat.

This is not the time for vitriol. The targets of that vitriol, the people at whom so many are directing their anger right now can’t feel it long distsance… the people who do feel it are the folks putting it out, and others who jump in and add to the rant. It escalates blood pressure, and it takes focus off of we all must be doing right now, which is to help each other on a daily basis to get through this.

I had the sweetest text from my darling neighbors this morning, telling me that they “were there” if I needed anything. I have no idea what their political views are, and frankly I could care less in these times. We’ll deal with that hopefully in November.

It’s difficult in this time of crisis to not become overwhelmed with all the advice flying from many sources…all well-intended, and of course helpful. But it makes it very difficult to shift focus internally, to go about our own creative work, or just to clear our thoughts and find a peaceful place mentally. That’s why I ended up here today instead of on Facebook. All we can do, unless we are government officials or medical professionals/ scientists trying to move things along in a healing way, is to do the best we can in our own lives to protect ourself from others… AND to protect others from ourselves~!

I may try to do some reading today - maybe dive into one of the classics from long ago. Maybe take Gracie for a walk between downpours. Maybe just sit here at my desk and look out through the window at the birds enjoying the birdseed trray I filled to overflowing, and the drops of rain falling from leaves as the breezes toss them about.

I even made some notes over the last few days, of ideas that stumbled into my path about ideas for short stories…odd thoughts I felt would be fun to develop. Can’t even find the energy to focus on them today, so maybe I’ll try to focus on someone else’s brilliance. This house has more books stacked about than the Studio City library! I should dig back into some of them, or maybe into some of the ones I bought because the title grabbed me, but opening the cover hasn’t yet…