People are learning to cook. Those who were used to calling out for delivery for dinner each day, ordering in lunch at work, stopping by Starbucks in the morning, are using ovens that have never seen the light of day. Especially in the cities, where food has always been a phonecall and 20 minutes away, people are ordering in ingredients that are fresh. Even my husband has learned to bake bread. And those who were already foodies are posting new recipes online and showing off their culinary delights. It reminds me of a time when there wasn't such a glut of delivery - a time when mom would cook up a dinner and we all sat down to eat it. When we are finally allowed out into the world again to see our friends and families, dinner parties might become even more popular than ever before.
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| c.2019 Sally Randall Brunger |
You can't keep a person out of the garden. For those who have a patch of green, even here in NYC, there is great solace in growing things. Fortunately, this all happened as the weather inevitably is turning warm, just in time to plant seeds, prune, bushes, grow onions in jars and herbs in tiny planters, at times to be replanted outside. The new victory garden may not be far behind.
People are adopting pets. I've seen several posts and articles about pet rescues that have given almost all their unwanted pets to either adoption or fostering. This is huge. Pets are important. They bring out our nurturing side, our need to love, our desire to take care of others. Having a pet makes us human.
People are housecleaning, reorganizing, rethinking their stuff. Especially stuff that has no particular purpose for survival. Does it mean that we no longer care about a beautiful piece of clothing? A beautifully bound book? A perfectly designed side cabinet? No. We will always love beautiful things. They hold memories and dreams. We can never lose that. However, we are prioritizing what we own so that the temporary lusts give way to the real loves. After all, we have too much stuff. When this is all over, a few visits to Housing Works will be on the schedule.
This is also a time when people are showing their true colors. There will always be those who no matter what is happening around them, will only see their own shadow. Like the person who lets their dog jump up on our brownstone's front garden to relieve themselves, killing all the flower buds along the way. Was that person on their phone? Texting? Just ignoring and walking away feeling that it is beneath them to clean up dog shit? Or the couple I saw sitting on a bench talking about how proud they were about their contributions to one of the local hospitals, while yelling at an old woman on a walker to move away as she wasn't 6' from them. Did it occur to them that they should get up and move instead of screaming at an 85 year old with motion issues? You would think that at a time like this with so much time to think, that we'd all might consider those around us. I guess not for everyone. But this too is an upside, as those who are hypocrites are now so easily revealed.
My friend Kate messaged me this morning that she has sent out some masks that she made for me. She sells them online, but for each one she sells, she donates one to an essential worker/first responder. She told me that since I'm one, she was not going to charge me for it. She even made one a little bigger for my husband. True colors. She would never let her dog pee on my flowers, or yell at an old person. I've always adored her, but at moments like this, it reminds me why.
Oh yes, and what about me? My clothing drawers have never been better organized, I have been cooking up a storm, my garden is [partially] perfect, my dog is groomed, and as soon as my hair dye comes in I will be doing my own roots. Now I just need to call Mila back.
xo
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