Such a small word for so large a meaning. To be brave even when you fear it. Whatever ‘it’ might be. I wrote in my art journal with a white pen on black painted paper (setting the mood), exactly what I needed to hear. Funny how that works. Well, the purpose of journaling truly is to help us muddle through emotions, doubts and life stuff. As I re-read this passage, I felt it might be helpful to my readers.

Unfortunately, I became a sad statistic last Friday, April 2nd. I found myself at a Covid-19 testing site. It wasn’t that long ago that I would drive by such a site, and see the cars lined up and wonder just how sick were those people to wait in line for an awful test? Now I was one of those people and I knew just how sick I was to get in my car and drive there.

Pride is one of the 7 deadly sins. Ironically, it’s an important part of the parent/child relationship. Have you ever heard your mom or dad tell someone how proud they are of you? Have they ever told you directly how proud they are of your accomplishments or just YOU in general?

Still here. It’s been quiet here at the blog. Even on my social channels I haven’t been interacting much. I certainly haven’t been creating brilliant thoughts or beautiful pictures I want to share with the world…which leaves me feeling a bit disconnected. But I could say I’m feeling more connected with myself. That’s not a bad thing.

Even the whales are angry at us. Mankind has really screwed up. We really have. And I wish I wasn’t posting this because it’s would be more fun to write about almost anything else.

First, let me just say this isn’t a post about how to know if you are an empath. I just want to express the problems I’ve experienced as an empath myself and offer tips for those of you who are feeling especially tapped out right now.

Empaths are vulnerable to abusive people who take advantage of their good nature and well of compassion. Empaths are far from perfect and are often told they are too sensitive.

It’s surprising to me that we’ve quickly reached a point in this flu crisis of considering re-opening the economy. For example, two of our least hit Canadian provinces have already rolled out a re-opening plan. It makes us hopeful in spite of the risk. Won’t it be nice to get back to normal. But we all have different opinions on this.

Welcome to Part II of my art journey and the lessons I’ve learned. Do check out Part I, if you haven’t yet.

In the years leading up to today, I have learned many lessons from this journey. Not just about studio space design, or perfect lighting or the fact that when I get a studio, something happens whereby I have to leave it behind…but the lessons I want to share with you now are deeper than the space I create in.

I was out for a walk on Sunday, minding my social distance. I walked through a schoolyard which was completely empty. There were tennis courts and baseball fields at the other end. The tennis courts, I’d noticed have been kind of busy lately.

This makes sense since you can play and maintain social distance from each other.

But I noticed there were four men on one court playing ‘doubles’. I also noticed all of their sport bags, coats and water bottles in one big pile by the court. I was amazed. There didn’t seem to be a single care about spreading the virus. So much for self quarantine.

What a silly decision.

Naturally, I wrote a poem about it.

 
 Tennis In the Time of Corona Virus

 Never before has
 Doubles tennis looked so sinister
 The men leapt, reached and ducked
 On the court
  
 I imagine sweat and saliva
 Dripping from one to the other
 The handsome young men
 Not a care in the world
  
 For the spread of a virus
 With no cure
 Caution to the wind
 As their rackets swung
  
 Next week one of them 
 Will lose their sense of taste
 Break a fever and reminisce
 In isolation, of his victory
  
 On the court of death
 His friends will follow suit
 Strong, athletic men
 If only they had played 
 Singles tennis
  
 They may have lived another day
 But they jeered a virus 
 That cannot be contained
 All for a game
  and shameless exhibition
 of who is the best
  
 But mother nature
 She doesn’t play around
 Nor should we
 In the time of Corona Virus 

Stay healthy everyone and if you play tennis, make sure you stick to singles game.

How are you getting your exercise during self quarantine?

We’re in this thing together…

It’s hard to not panic when you read or hear the word PANdemIC. It has the word built right in. Pandemic definition: “an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population : a pandemic outbreak of a disease.”