A B Cs of 2020 - Marnie Pohlmann

 

 is for And.
My word for 2020 was “and” to help me remember that I have choices.

 is for But.
I mentioned in the January blog that adding focus to life might be important “but” letting go of what blocks you is equally important.

 is for choice.
I thought “And” and “But” would help me with my Choices. If we cannot fit one more thing on the top shelf without something falling off, then we need to make a choice about what belongs.

could also be for Covid.
The pandemic of Coronavirus 19, or Covid-19, has effectively helped make choices for me, removing many activities. While many people are anxious for life to return to normal, I am enjoying the slower pace of not rushing to and fro. Meetings are through video chats so seem to be more productive and over quicker, leaving me time to do what I say I will do before another endeavour takes my attention. I have saved almost $300 on haircuts. I have a window to see daylight as I work from home. I have so much more to write about - when I choose to write.

Or is 

for Create?
The old saying goes, write what you know. The year 2020 has given each writer the experience to write in many new genres that they may not have considered before. In this post, I am exploring some of these ideas.

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Science Fiction

We went on a weekend of romance and rest, hibernating in a friend’s cabin on the lake. No TV, no Internet. Just books, games, and each other. On Monday we returned home, feeling refreshed.

And although we like adventure, everything at home is the same, except it isn’t.  We have entered an alternate universe. 

The whole world is struggling with a pandemic. Travel to and from far-away places spreads an illness never seen before. No one is safe. Everyone is at risk. People are dying.

Schools are open, but the children are at home. A telephone call counts as a visit to the doctor. The elderly, already treated poorly, are constrained in group homes, not able to go out or have visitors in, and many workers no longer go in to help them.

Something unseen is a menace to this new world we entered. We are told it is a menace to us, too, as no one is immune.

Masked, trying to be unseen, we avoid others as we search for the wormhole that brought us here. If we return to the cabin for another weekend, will we be transported back to life as we knew it? Can we escape, without being caught, the evil that has invaded the earth...

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Relationship Advice Column

We are at home together. Isn’t it wonderful?

We work at home. We rest at home. We visit only with those who share our home. The elderly are lonely. The singles are lonely. The parents are overwhelmed by demanding, bored children. But I have you.

We are at home together. Isn’t it wonderful?

Marriage is for life, but that does not mean every minute of life is meant to be shared together. Forced to stay in the confines of our home, we begin to sound like children traveling in the back seat of a car. “She’s breathing on me.” “He smells.” (Followed by, “Do I need to stop this car? I will…”)

We are created to need others. We are also created to need space or quiet time. Different people have different amounts of others and the space they need, but we all need a bit of each.

So, when not being with others beyond your spouse, and needing some space to yourself without someone walking in, how do you keep your marriage healthy and strong? How do you not annoy one another to the point of no return...

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Political Intrigue

We shelter in a windowless room and discuss the news reports that are causing fear in the masses. The number of people tested. The number of deaths. An overwhelmed medical system throughout the country. But something seems to be missing. The statistics don’t tell us what is really happening.

The reports show us how terribly we have treated our elderly citizens. They talk about immune-compromised people. Schools are shut down. Working parents are panicked. Stockpiling essentials causes shortages. All countries are affected. 

“Will a one-world government be established to direct the recovery from this worldwide disaster?” asks a hooded man.

Another man, wearing a mask, cuts in. “Businesses are forced to close, and even declare bankruptcy. What will a new economy look like when only major companies are left? Are those companies controlled by the same power-people who caused this?”

A lady with red hair that announces her defiance of hiding, stood. “We are told to stay home, behind closed doors. We are told not to talk to our neighbour. Don’t get a haircut. Work from home, if you even have a job. Be disconnected. Listen only to the news you are given. You can trust us. How can we trust those who are treating us like robots waiting to carry out their next directions? We need to find out what is behind all this.”

When darkness comes, we all, even the red-haired lady, put on dark jackets, and with masks covering our faces we silently step through the door. The streets are deserted, just as they have been all day...

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Motivational

Don’t give in. Don’t give up.
In our new world order, new ways to stay motivated are needed.

Gathering on a computer screen helps but is just not the same as hugs and edits from a fellow writer. It is almost as difficult as reading on an electric device instead of holding a page-turning book in your hands.

We have much more time to write, but less time to watch people and become inspired by their antics. If we write about what we know, too many of us will be writing about cleaning the floor. Somehow, we also now have more time to procrastinate with projects that we had on a get-to list, which also cut into the time we can be writing.

We always think when we retire, we will have more time to write. Today’s Covid-19 circumstances show us that discipline will be needed even in ideal circumstances.

Scripture guides us on how to develop discipline, so we do not quit...

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Are you inspired to write something new? You can inspire me to continue writing any of these new-to-me genres, and more, by leaving a comment below.

Pictures courtesy of CCO license through Pixabay.com

Marnie Pohlmann isolates in northern BC to protect her coworkers and her church family. She presently works from home and writes in undisciplined moments between playing with her Lego and watching her husband cook.