Something important that happened to me this week was a safety reminder. We had a beautiful gentle snow fall, lots of it. I went out at night and took some pictures...first time for photography at night. It wasn’t too cold, and all was quiet. I was so pleased about the shots I was getting and felt like a real photographer, for once in the right place at the right time. Next day we shoveled, nice light snow so effort required was consistent but not strenuous. By the next day the snow started to melt and the magic of the midnight photo shoot was also beginning to diminish. My “reminder” occurred the next day when I went for my daily “walk and talk”. That is my pandemic routine combining exercise and socialization where I call a socially isolated friend and chat on the phone while I walk. It was a glorious sunny day and I was completely immersed in the conversation and missed (well, I didn’t miss it, I hit it) a big clod of grass a snow plow had thrown up on the street. I was concentrating on the call looking at the phone one second and down on the ground watching my phone skitter across the ground the next. It was one of those slow motion falls ....oooohhhhh nnnooooo...... completely my fault...but ultimately so much gratitude... I did not hit my head, did not lose the phone down the rain drain, and being winter in New England was dressed in lots of layers. I was lucky, suffering a few minor bruises along with a bruised ego and some very very sore ribs. The ego is fine, but the ribs will take much more time and remind me every day that “keep your eyes on the road”, is an apt phrase to remember not just when driving!
January 13, 2021
In Oklahoma we witness many occurrences of people in the community reaching out and supporting one another during the coronavirus pandemic. People are hungry and I see donations to the food bank increase. The online disaster of securing a vaccine appointment is spread around the country. Locally a young man set up a vaccine appointment tracking website to help others locate open appointments. His story made the local news and when people found out this man set up the site on his own using his own money donations began pouring in to help him maintain his website.Neighbors will stop their cars, roll down their windows and ask if you need anything at the store. I have seen and experienced such acts of kindness.
March 5, 2021