The Lockdown Rediscovery Challenge
Three Things I Appreciate More…
Thanks For the Writing Challenge Trista Ainsworth
In her post on this topic, Tree Langdon ♾️ wrote:
One of the things I appreciate the most about being a writer on Illumination is the supportive community of writers here. Everyone is so encouraging and I am grateful to be a part of the publication.
I couldn’t say it better, so I won’t. I’ll tell you why in a minute.
The challenge is to write about three things you’ve rediscovered during lockdown.
For me they would be:
- The joy of walking
- Visiting neighbors
- The joy of reading and writing on Medium
The Joy of Walking
I confess, I like to walk. Not long distances, but enough to get some exercise and clear the cobwebs out of my brain. I get in about 6500 steps a day. 7000 on a good day.
My wife and I enjoy short hikes in Arizona when we go there as “snowbirds” for a few weeks each winter. We often hike to the top of a hill to visit some Hohokam Native-American ruins. We appreciate the fresh air as we look out over the haze of Phoenix. Of course, we love the sunshine, too!
During the winter, we walk at the mall several mornings each week; at least, we did before COVID-19 struck. After returning from Arizona, we hadn’t gotten back into our routine of mall-walking when the virus put us all in lockdown.
Thankfully, by then the weather was warming, the ice had pretty much cleared from the streets and I could walk outside. Now, afternoon walks have become a regular routine for me. I take a one-hour hike through the neighborhood and down to White Bear Lake. It is far enough for me to get in my 6500 steps. That’s a good distance for this 75-year-old. I don’t walk fast, and I stop and sit for a while by the lake.
I enjoyed watching the ice go from dirty white to dark greenish-blue to gone. “Ice out” occurred during the first week in April this year. I remember being surprised to see open water after many months of ice. People here look forward to “Ice out.” Some place bets on exactly when it will go. We even have “official” observers to record the exact date.
Soon after “ice-out,” I saw fishermen in their boats on the lake. It still seemed a little cold to me, but fishermen know how to dress for early spring fishing.
Now the boaters are out. I wave to them as they pass; they wave back. (Boating would be a nice activity to re-discover in this age of COVID-19, but that will have to wait for my son to get the boat ready for the season — he stores it in his garage.)
Spring has sprung. The Robins and Mallard ducks and Mourning Doves are pairing up and building nests. The average temperature rises a little each week.
Visiting Neighbors
As I walk around the neighborhood, I greet my neighbors. Have you noticed how we find more things to do outside when the weather allows? I see many neighbors raking their lawns and cleaning out flower beds. That makes it easy to greet them and strike up a brief conversation. People seem friendlier. Having this common invisible enemy helps us bond and gives us a good conversation starting point. Kids draw street art with chalk.
We have some budding young artists in our neighborhood.
Yesterday, down by the lake, I met Charlie, a neighbor who lives a block behind us. Charlie loves to talk. I’d guess he’s in his early 80s. He has mild dementia, so he repeats himself a little. Charlie can’t hear very well, either, so I had to talk loudly, which was a challenge for me (I have a soft voice).
Charlie worked as a lifeguard in Atlantic City in the 50s. He has stories to tell and loves to tell them. He said his dad, a full-blooded Hawaiian, played steel guitar in a band. During the summer when the Boardwalk was open, they’d play in Atlantic City. In the winter, they’d pack up and head for Miami and play in clubs there.
I learned a lot about Charlie in our short visit. He said he liked to walk down to the lake and sit on a bench near the water. It reminded him of his days sitting and looking out over the beach to the ocean when he was a lifeguard. Talking with cheerful Charlie made my day. Having someone to tell his stories to made his day, too, I’m sure.
We both hail from Florida: Charlie was born in Miami and I in Wauchula. Charlie didn’t know where Wauchula was, so I explained it was in the middle of the state, due east of Tampa.
Mary Sue is another neighbor whom I’ve newly met. She greeted me as I walked by. She’s a year older than I am and has trouble with her feet. I chatted with her about the neighborhood. Turns out she knows our new neighbors and their three children well. She says she’s like another grandma to them. Small world.
The joy of reading and writing on Medium
I first became aware of Medium about a year ago when my Facebook Friend, Rasheed Hooda posted an article that he had written and posted here. I read the article and didn’t think much about it. Rasheed posted several others. After the third one, I found I could no longer read them without subscribing. Medium wanted $5.00 per month. Not wanting to get roped into another subscription (I’d just subscribed to the NYT), I declined. A month or so later, Rasheed posted another article and I could read it.
I don’t remember if Rasheed actually asked me about joining or not. When the pandemic hit, I decided to take a closer look at Medium. The site said I could cancel at any time. I figured “what the heck.” I was looking for something new to do. And, besides, hadn’t I challenged myself to try some new things in 2020?
So, in mid-April, when I would ordinarily be working on my taxes, I subscribed. Rasheed was very helpful. Rasheed knew I liked to write, so he suggested I join the “Partner Program.” I did.
I’d actually written a few stories late last year and posted them on Medium before I joined. “Challenge” was my first effort published last November.
I told Rasheed that I wasn’t so much interested in making money from my writing, though that would be the icing on the cake, as I was in interacting with people. I’m an introvert, but I do love connecting with people online. I’ve been on Facebook for years and have really enjoyed connecting with friends there.
I love to read. I’m a slow reader, but I still manage to work my way through several hundred books each year. I have a stack of books I’m working on by my reading chair in the Family Room and another stack by my bed. I also have my trusty Kindle on the nightstand. For me a day without reading and writing something is a wasted day.
What I like most about Medium is the opportunity to interact with writers over their work or mine. Nothing pleases me more than getting a comment or having someone underline something I’ve written. Claps are nice, too. I always try to reciprocate.
I told Rasheed, I had a goal: I wanted to earn enough to cover my monthly subscription. Although I’ve only been a member for a couple of weeks, it looks like I may make it. For a newbie who’s a bit of a hack writer, I think that’s pretty good.
Those are the three things I rediscovered during lockdown. Now, I challenge you to list your three. Rasheed Hooda and Holly Jahangiri, I tag you to take this challenge and write about 3 things that you’ve rediscovered.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this, I’d be honored if you’d visit my profile and read some of my other missives. I’d love to hear what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcomed.
My latest is:
Have a great day!
Happy reading, writing and connecting!
