Another Day, Another Walk

In this morning’s meditation circle, I find myself distracted, focusing for only two or three minutes at a time. I then spend the rest of the morning ‘cleaning up’ my office. It looks better than it did an hour into the project, but it isn’t the fantasy office of last night. But I have made a dent in the disorder.

In the early afternoon I’m ‘tech buddy’ at DBSA-Boston (Depression Bipolar Support Alliance). The facilitator directs the conversation, while I admit people from the ‘waiting room,’ watch for electronic blue hands (and lower them after the member speaks), and hang out in case there are technical problems, which there aren’t. Chuck, our president, likes to say, “We’re building the plane as we fly it.” That made someone nervous: “How about we’re building the plane in the hangar?” Doesn’t quite do it for me. Then I hear, "We’re flying the plane in the hangar." That’s exciting.

When I’m done with the Zoom group, I step out of my office and the fragrance of baking bread wafts up the stairs. Jim comes over from the coach house and soon we’re buttering fresh slices.

In the early evening, two friends from church start a conference call with me as I walk. Then R’el calls. I planned to walk an hour, but I have no desire to turn around. I walk down the Battle Road, which has become my favorite route. After about 50 minutes, it seems I really should turn around and come home. Five and a half miles. It feels so good to be outdoors and on the move.

I’ve adjusted pretty well to being at home. Being a homemaker, I’ve spent a lot of time at home. But I still haven’t adjusted to the idea that most other people are home all day. When my friends called, I had to remind myself that they’d been home all day: I just picture them at their job sites. This evening our ‘ministering brothers’ from church scheduled a meeting for 8 p.m. I came home and was in my office when Jim called at about 8:05 p.m. They were all on the video call. I was waiting for a knock on the door