I live alone. Well, not quite, I live with Celtic, my 10 year old dog who comes with me on most of my travels, as much as possible. I live in a small house, in a small street, in a small village in the Lot. I rent this semi-furnished house: it is in stone, with beams, parquet, and some furniture and elements that do not belong to me, mixed with mine. The house has a rather rustic, old, but functional interior that has its charm. I feel good there, and I spend the lockdowns established by the government during this covid-19 pandemic.
I usually have a very active social life. But I am in a moment of my life when loneliness is not heavy, quite the contrary. After a few days when I felt symptoms of stress, more related to repetitive and anxiety-provoking information, I finally welcomed lock down with a positive state of mind: after several personal trials, it was the right time in my life. This loneliness helped me to recharge my batteries, to take care of myself, to rest, to learn, to cultivate myself and to create. A certain routine has obviously set in: work, dog walks, cleaning, cooking, the evening movie with hot chocolate, shopping, reading. Everything I already do on a daily basis in normal times, but, this time, without the unforeseen outings with friends, restaurants, movies, exchanges. Life stripped of the little extras that spice it up.
But if we take a closer look, this routine is both repetitive and never identical to the day before: the state of mind, the weather, meetings with neighbors, calls with family and friends, weekend painting in the house I bought, have become the little events that shake it up. We rebalance the emotions: no need for major events to feel them. Of course, this routine is not free from blues, depression, nostalgia, desire to travel, parties and meetings. Boredom sometimes too.
This is how I marvel at a ray of sunlight through the window, a laught with a friend on the phone, a book that I can’t stop reading, a cake that I bake just for myself, a documentary or a film that nourishes me. And, every now and then, I break the law, reasonably, to have dinner with friends.