Getting Out


I guess it is ironic that my first post from a period of quarantine is titled "Getting Out." However, one of the things that I do want to commit to during this period of time is getting daily exercise. Nothing crazy...just getting in about 10, 000 steps a day. Sounds simple? Trust me, if your baseline activity level is like mine, 10, 000 steps is a big leap.

I would say I have a good start, averaging about 6,500 steps per day. My husband and I have gone on walks every day, getting in about 3,500 steps, with the remainder being made up of indoor steps and an impromptu dance party with the youngest member of the family. Thankfully, she was not completely turned off by her grossly out of shape mother trying to match steps with her. May be social distancing is helping bring the family together :-) Anyway, it may be too soon to count the proverbial chickens before they hatch. After all, these are early days of familial bonding.

My goal is to walk twice a day, but that has been difficult with the rains this weekend. I am not complaining, though. We needed the rains. The few times we did get out, we noticed things that we have never paid attention to even though we have lived in the neighborhood more than ten years. We discovered that the sequence of house numbers do not follow any logical sense. We also noticed a few new things around the neighborhood, like the mural of the world map on the elementary school blacktop. Seemed to be a somber reminder that we are in this crisis together, as a global community. There is nothing "foreign" about this virus. How leaders communicate in a crisis often becomes the defining moment of their careers. I have been impressed by the communication from local leaders -- whether it is the Governor, the Mayor, County Health Officials, or school district personnel. Their poise, level of preparedness, and commitment to doing what is best for the community has been reassuring even though it is clear that we are headed for worsening circumstances. It has also been nice to see collaborative efforts across county lines and direct lines of communication across branches of the local government. May be this is what happens when leadership from the top is lacking.



We have also been taking advantage of the empty roads to get some much-needed behind-the-wheel time for our teenage driver. She practiced driving up and down slopes, changing lanes, driving in the rain, and parking in tight spots. The experience was not as stressful as it usually is. We may even venture out to the freeways which would be out of the question at any other time.

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