Resilience!

So, do you want to know what Missy and Sissy, the resident mice, did yesterday? You don’t? Well then, I guess I’ll have to change the subject.

On Friday, the provincial government announced 2 more weeks of covid lockdown for the Toronto and Peel hotspots. We were all disappointed, but did we wail and swear and have temper tantrums? No we did not because… we are resilient!

Think back to the way life was about a year ago. From March to early June we did nothing but sit in front of our TV’s and watch the daily reports: Trudeau at 11:00, Ford at 1:30, and the Toronto gang around 3:00. In between, we did our compulsory walk around the block, followed by searching our bare cupboards for an old can of fish and some beans with which to create dinner. At bedtime we scoured our bookshelves for old tomes that we had been planning to read for several years but never had the time. It was a dull, repetitive life.

But look at us now! We easily check the covid numbers on our ipads, and move on. No need to watch the official reports unless there is breaking news. Instead, we turn to the season’s new shows on Netflix – all of which were filmed using a platform like zoom and/or social distancing. Or we watch sports which are exciting, even without live audiences.

When it’s time for our walk, we have discovered local trails. How often have you heard someone say: “We have learned So Much about our neighbourhood during the pandemic!” Or we put on our masks and join a friend in a local park to do tai chi or yoga or weight training, or even just walk together, but apart. When it snows, we get out our sleds or snowshoes, purchased online, and head for a deserted snowy hill.

For dinner, if we don’t feel like cooking, we have options. Takeout is available from most restaurants, and Greek, Indian, Thai, Japanese and many other world cuisines are available to us. And it is all safely organized for pick-up. Call the restaurant and order. Drive to a numbered spot in their parking lot, and call the restaurant again, giving your spot number. Very soon a masked waiter approaches your car with hot food, well-wrapped. Yum.

After dinner we can read something current. The library has pick-up options and the bookstores work the same way as restaurants, for online purchases. We can join a virtual book club and share our thoughts with other readers. If we don’t feel like reading, we can find other virtual activities such as bridge or choirs. Or how about wine or chocolate tasting? Sign up for a course and wait for delivery of your samples. Then go online to enjoy the treats and discuss their merits with friends.

All in all, we seem to be managing quite well. Our hair is getting longer and we miss hugging our grand kids, but otherwise we are mostly doing OK. The other day, as Peter and I were dragging our bags of produce home from Sunnyland, a couple of young women approached us from behind. Sensing that they were in a hurry, we schlepped ourselves and our bags over into a driveway so they could pass safely. They hurried by without a thank you or even a nod. I called out, with maybe a touch of sarcasm: “You’re welcome!” They turned around and looked at us, then walked back to where we were standing, and apologized. They said they had been engaged in conversation and didn’t even see us. Then they asked: “Can we help you with your groceries?”

Yes, I’d say we are mostly doing OK.

Sue