Daily writing prompt

How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?

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For me, things are about the same now as they were pre-pandemic. Being disabled and unable to work, I only went out for groceries and appointments. Dad and I would eat out once a week and sometimes I would eat out with a friend.

When Covid-19 hit, we stayed home and only went out for medical appointments. We sometimes hit the drive-thru at the liquor store just to keep Dad’s supply of wine stocked. I ordered food online; Schwan’s, Nutrisystem, HMR, and anything that could be shipped I took advantage of. I ordered from Walmart, Target, and Dollar General. I ordered produce from a company that shipped every 2 -4 weeks. My son brought me meat and cheese items on occasion. I discovered late in the game that our local Walmarts were now offering curbside service so I started using that. 

Now, we go out only for appointments and curbside orders at Walmart. Afterward, we usually eat out. I still order Schwan’s and Nutrisystem when I can afford it. HMR is up and running again so I can order from them. That’s about it these days. Dad’s health is declining and mine ain’t so hot either. Staying home and away from people is fine by me. No adaptation required. 

Covid is still out there and we get our boosters every 6 months. We wear a mask when required, and sometimes when there’s a crowd or if someone is sick we don our masks. I’m waiting for it to get bad again. It wouldn’t surprise me if something worse came along. It will happen, eventually.

Daily writing prompt

What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?

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I despise waking up in the morning. I always feel like I’ve been asleep for days and/or I am confused about what day it is! It doesn’t matter if I’ve had a good night’s sleep or only slept for a couple of hours. Ugh. I wish I was as cheerful and oblivious as Mr. Bean.

The first hour I’m up consists of waking up! First, after a visit to the ladies’ room, I have my first cup of coffee. Ah, that first cup! The funny thing is that I never became a coffee drinker until I was 40 years old! Weird, huh? As I’m having my morning coffee, I check on friends and family by scrolling through Facebook and checking my Facebook memories. I check my email. I private message my daughter or my best friend, sometimes both. 

Every morning, I have to play interference with Jack and BobCat. Jack is a moody, jealous little shit so he picks on BobCat. Poor BobCat doesn’t know whether to shit or go blind, as my ol’ Granny would say. HoneyBear seems to think it’s time to eat when I wake up (whether from a nap or night’s sleep, it doesn’t matter) and she sits and screams at me for 20 minutes until she gives up. Alice comes around wanting attention, poor little senior Alice. She’s 10 years old now. I hope she makes it another 5 years at least. 

When I’m fully awake and my bones are warmed up, I shower and throw a load in the washing machine. Then I decide on what to fix for lunch and take whatever I need from the freezer to thaw. Then it’s off to do a chore that my housekeeper should be doing but she’s lazy and disabled…oh, wait, that’s me. 

That’s the first hour of a day in the life of a disabled pain in the ass. Exciting, ‘eh? 

Mr. Bean makes me laugh and I always hear him in my mind saying, “Wakey, wakey!” so I had to include him in this post. 

Daily writing prompt

Which aspects do you think makes a person unique?

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Personality means more to me than social status, looks, money, religion, or anything else. No one has the same personality as another person. We are all different. 

When I ‘click’ with someone, it’s not their financial or social status, their looks, or anything else that draws me to them. It’s their personality! It’s also what turns me off; If you’re an asshole, then I won’t be drawn to you. Period. 

We all possess a combination of traits that make us unique. If we were all the same, life would be boring. 

Daily writing prompt

What’s something most people don’t understand?

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Today’s Daily Prompt is an easy one for me but only in the sense that I know something you don’t. Let me explain:

Chronic Pain. Most people don’t understand what it does to a person. They will never understand unless they experience it themselves.

Chronic pain stays in the forefront of your thoughts, all day every day. When you’re in constant pain, it becomes part of your thought process. Everything you want or need to do, you must consider your pain. Everywhere you want to go, you must consider your pain. If you want to visit someone, you must consider your pain. Will I be able to mop the floor today? Will I be able to cook something today? Will I have the energy to walk into a store and grab a few items? Will I be able to sit comfortably to watch my grandson play ball? When I go visit my family, will they understand when I have to leave? Will there be steps or stairs? Is the toilet going to be too low? Will there be handlebars to grip so I don’t fall? Will the grocery store have a scooter available so I don’t have to walk? Will someone be able to help me if I have trouble? These are just some of the things I have to consider.   

Not many people understand what it’s like to be in pain constantly. I pray you will never have to deal with what I deal with. No matter what the pain is from, it’s debilitating. Pain sucks your energy away. Pain thwarts your abilities. Pain causes depression, sadness, and helplessness. It causes loneliness because you retreat from the people and things that made you happy before, the things that made you who you are… It destroys your life as you once knew it. You’re not the same person anymore. It changes you. 

I hope you will keep this in mind when you’re dealing with a person with a chronic illness. You just have no idea what they are going through.