I don’t know about you, but my days have become shorter and my nights much longer because…what’s the rush in getting up, right? I am a fitness trainer in New York, where all the gyms are closed until further notice, and with the new social distancing norms, my clients don’t want to take any chances. And neither do I. I still workout, but don’t have much fitness equipment at home, because our building has a fully equipped gym in the basement. Which is now closed.
Oh, I forgot to mention that due to a knee injury, I am on crutches for at least another month. So, between doing my best to navigate my apartment with crutches, avoiding the carpets, our dog Ruby, the furniture…and coming up with a workout with no weight bearing on my leg and no props, my fitness life has suddenly become more epic.
Luckily, I am also a writer (screenplay, novels, short stories and a blog, which keeps me busy. I read. A lot. I cook, watch movies and documentaries, spend hours with friends and family on Zoom.
My perspective has changed. I look out my windows more. I enjoy the sunsets (sunrises are way too early). At 7pm, we go out and clap for the health care workers. Last night, we were encouraged to sing “New York New York” and we did. We were apparently the only ones, but we enjoyed it, despite the forceful wind and cold temperatures. I take photos. Of everything: the sunset, the raviolis my husband cooked, my cup of tea, our dog, my crutches, the sweet potato curry I made (delicious!), the books I read…
I am now excited when I have one item on an agenda that used to be full. Tonight at 6: zoom cocktails with friends. Sunday, call with my brother and sister-in-law in France. Step by step, day by day, that’s how I keep busy. And sane. I am grateful we are healthy, and so are our loved ones. What I miss most? Socializing, going to the museums and traveling.
So, until things are back to “normal’, whatever that means, I hope you are keeping busy. Be safe, be well and hang on in there!
Evelyne
Written for the Women’s Skills Bureau- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Evelyne Fallows Author 