I started working when I was 15 years old. It was a typical mall job that started out during the Christmas holiday. I loved that my job was gift wrapping because it made everyone so happy and I loved making “real” money! Little did I know back then that I would continue working until now. I’m not complaining because I am one of those odd balls that really likes working but I had no idea I’d still be working nearly 50 years later.
Here we are today, all these years later, and I am furloughed from my job due to covid19. Like everyone else in the world I could never have predicted this unprecedented time in history. I am working very part-time providing telemedicine services but that is not the same as going into an office every day. Again, not complaining, because my husband and I can work from home but it is just a surprising time of unexpectedly slowing down.
You’ve all heard of FOMO (fear of missing out) that pervades modern society but I’ve come to prefer what the wonderful sociologist, Brene Brown prefers JOMO - the joy of missing out. Now that I am indefinitely furloughed I am enjoying missing out because it turns out that I am really not missing anything of true value at all. I do miss my children terribly but we’re lucky to live in 2020 and we can FaceTime, skype, whatsapp, text, email, or make old fashioned phone calls. We are able to stay in touch and still feel up close even though there is physical distance between us all. It’s not perfect but it’s better than in the past.
When my brothers were in the U.S. Air Force in the 1970’s we wrote them letters, which took weeks, and talked to them infrequently on the phone. Back then phone calls cost a fortune, which my parents couldn’t afford, so we spoke only on special occasions. We’d all be crowded around the one phone on the kitchen wall and pass the phone among each other. Seems funny now but we were delighted that we were able to chat, even for a minute.
So, today with all of this extra time, here’s what I am learning and doing during my time of “missing out:”
Purposefully, making an effort to reach out to family and friends and not feeling rushed to get on to something else or to get back to work.
Preparing meals that take a bit more effort than our usual weeknight meals and savoring those meals at the table.
Walking my sweet pupster and listening to the sounds of the birds, or our feet on the road.
Organizing the thousands of photos on my phone, printing and framing my favorites. My phone has always been a place where my photos go to die because there’s too many to manage.
Cleaning my house and enjoying it (yes, actually enjoying it) because I don’t have to hurry through it and get to the next thing. It gives me time to be grateful that I have a paid-for roof over my head.
Life is funny, isn’t it? Who could have predicted something of this magnitude? However, we are all in this together and while everyone has a different situation, it has been a time of coming together, reaching out, and being aware of neighbors and friends.
How are you coping? What is helping you?
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