The lockdown might be lifted soon – or at least relaxed. It’s been 6 full weeks since it began. I’m happy, yet a little sad. I wanted to take a moment to go down the memory lane and pick stories that stood out. For obvious reasons, this has been a significant time in all our lives. A lockdown of this nature across cities and countries is unheard of. So this is definitely a time I’m going to be talking about to my children and grandchildren (if I have kids, that is and that’s a big if. I have a lot of close friends who have kids, though. So if not to my own, I’ll be narrating these stories to their grandkids!).
While these might not be the most profound or entertaining of memories, I write them because they’re meaningful to me. I’d, in fact, encourage you to do the same. Scribble down moments from the Covid-19 time that stand out to you. These will make for fun reminiscing conversations years from now. With that…here are my fav memories!
The quiet Bangalore streets and the chirping of the birds
Like all other Indian cities, Bangalore is densely populated. It’s been a nice change to have peace and quiet instead of the cacophony of the busy streets. I remember the numerous walks I took. Most memorable were the ones right after a heavy downpour. I was able to hear five different types of birds all at once. It was pure music to the ears.
Spending a lot of time with my grandparents
The last time I’d been with them for this long a time was probably back in grade school. It’s been wonderful to bond with them. I cherish this and I’m 100% sure that I’ll treasure these times for the rest of my life.
The dog that licked my hand
Okay, this one might sound super weird. But let me share the story. One afternoon, I was out on my usual walk when a little white dog started following me. She (I’m not sure if it was a she but let’s just assume it was a she) stopped when I stopped and patiently waited until I started walking again. After a few minutes, I found that she’d disappeared. I scanned the area and couldn’t see her. So I assumed that she’d finally decided to be off by herself. After a minute, though, I felt soft, tiny licks on my left hand. I turned around to see her looking up at me expectantly with her puppy dog eyes. I’m sure she was requesting a treat which I, unfortunately, didn’t have. After a while, she did go off by herself.
I remembered the dog for the rest of the day and kept smiling thinking about her friendly licks. Maybe I was giving off dog treat vibes that day? Who knows?
Writing, writing, writing…like a woman possessed
I spent every evening of April from 5-7 pm writing. I watched the sky turn from the most brilliant yellow and golden to the softest pink-and-orange before fading away into purple and inky blue. This put me in the right state to write and I had some of the best writing sessions during these times. I’m going to fondly remember Apr ’20 for all the blogging I did during sunset hours.
Connecting with some rad people
I spent many, many hours interacting with super cool people from across the world. I’m lucky to have friends from different countries that I connect deeply with. A bunch of us have been doing work sessions together during the evenings too. These have been super fun. It’s like a virtual cafe or coworking space and helps us all focus on work while being together. It’s amazing. Another group that I’m part of meets virtually every week to discuss a pre-selected movie. That’s been super fun too. I’ve also been having quite a few 1-1 conversations and I cherish these. I love going deep with another person. I don’t think I’d have done it to such an extent if not for the lockdown.
Watching some super cool stuff on Netflix
I’m a Type A personality. I tend not to ‘squander time’ on inconsequential things such as Netflix. Or so I thought. The truth is that I’ve watched Netflix quite a bit during this time and enjoyed every minute of it. And I don’t consider it wasted time at all! I think they helped me have a better appreciation for films and storytelling. I particularly liked the series Anne with an E and the movie Arrival.
Getting clarity on my long-term goals
In the middle of Covid-19, I turned 30. I’ve spoken about why this year is significant to me in this post and this one. I got plenty of introspection time during this lockdown to really get clarity on my long-term goals. It was my intention to really focus on myself and make 2020 #theyearofme. I think the lockdown aided that. I love the path I’m on. It’s my path with a heart. It’s what I’ve chosen for myself and I intend to tread this for as long as I live.
There you go…that’s my list! What’s yours? 😀