his is strange. I’ve just seen whole days slide by that I cannot account for.

When I started retirement six months back, every day was a golden chance to work on stuff, get things done. I was writing, coding, bike riding, going to two clubs, everything. And now suddenly there is a stay-at-home order and I’m stuck.

I’m noticing (and just speaking for myself here) that my creativity is in the crapper. I just feel bored with everything. I can’t confirm the origin of these feelings, of course, but there is always the element of worry. We live pretty tight here – what if one of us gets sick? The hospitals are overloading. The world feels like a gray place, filled with uncertainty and despair. And for every nice wave from a person out for a walk, there is the acidic Facebook posting. My sister in law called to speak with my wife, and suddenly was dumping her politics down my phone funnel (and I responded in turn).

But the creativity – it seems to have slumped.

Of course, I’ve heard that Shakespeare wrote some of his best works during a plague. And that’s fine and good but he didn’t have Netflix and Hulu to use as brain deadeners. I would think I’d be up with the sun, working hard, distracting myself but it’s just not happening. And I hear others having the same problem – over-snacking, binge-watching, or, worse, violating the quarantine restrictions. The world we enjoyed without knowing seems to have passed away, replaced with this quiet existence. Two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room, the backyard.

To quote the IT Crowd, I don’t think I’d thrive in prison.

I suppose I’m going to have to turn this around myself. We’ll see if I can do it. Up at eight, back to work by nine. Either writing my game or cleaning up my model train engines or riding that bike of mine (gotta see if that’s curtailed by the new mandate) over one of my thirty-mile routes.

I suppose I’m solving my problem through automatic writing. My solution about not being busy is to be busy.

Okay, next Thursday, I’ll let you know how it goes.

(At least I’m still keeping up on my blogs)

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p.s. In posting this, I got up at 8am, read the paper, and hit the desk at nine for the final edit. So yes, I’m showing up for my day job.