Seeing the World in a New Light

My wife and I went out today for our afternoon bike ride. We do this every day now that Florida is in a shutdown.

We always go a certain way around the path, but today I suggested we go the opposite direction.
It was amazing. We saw things that we never saw before. It felt like we were on a completely different path.

It got me thinking about perspectives, and how when we change them our whole world changes.
Many of us get stuck in ways of behaving in the world that feel comfortable to us. We have our routines. We love our routines.

For me, my routines before COVID-19 included going to my favorite sandwich shop for lunch, sitting in the library before my next appointment, and working out at my gym on Monday and Wednesday.

All of that changed for me on March 13. That’s when the social distancing orders started coming down where I live. Suddenly, all those things came to a halt.

No more church service, no more band rehearsals, no more teaching in schools, no more golfing, no more swimming. It all stopped.

All my routines were keeping me from being able to see the world from different perspectives. I had my driving routes that I took every day to these activities, and I had my regular wake up and bedtimes.

Like everything else, this has all changed.

The new perspective on my life is being formed by the speed at which things are not happening. The slamming on the brakes of my life as I knew it has caused me to look at life very differently.
I now notice that I really like writing every day. I was not doing that for a while. I had become so busy that I started to neglect my daily writing routine. Now I can prioritize it again. That feels good.
I am noticing that I love to spend time in the kitchen with my wife preparing meals. I had lost touch with that for a while. Now I remember how fun it is.

I am aware that I enjoy the spaciousness of not having to rush out the door in the morning to get to work. It’s wonderful to be able to go from our porch to the living room and just start writing. It’s beautiful!

My life seems like it is being transformed. I am not ready to say that COVID-19 is a blessing. It is not. There are lots of people suffering out there. It’s a horrible illness.

The situation is giving me a new perspective on things. It is making me more grateful for the people close to me. It is making me more aware of how much I like a slower lifestyle. It is getting me in touch with the simple things like watching a butterfly in our garden.

I have a new perspective of my life. I am more grateful than I was before. When this terrible virus has disappeared from our society (or at least subsided) I will be more appreciative of those simple things in life.

I’m curious. How has this situation changed your perspective on your life or the world around you?

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