This was one view on my morning commute. There was low visiablity, and I could only focus on what was right in front of me and not much more in my rearview mirror. I drove a little slower to be sure I was ready in case anything jump in front of me.
That got me thinking about how this past year has forced me to slow down and await the next COVID-related thing to jump out at me. It has been a year with very low visiblity and very high anxiety. Not being able to plan or see past the next COVID update.
Some days I have felt lost. I lost the opportunity to come and go a I please, see my children, grandkids, family and friends, and go out without a mask. It has been as if I have been driving in the fog and a part of me vanished in the mist. The part of me that enjoyed reading and writing, the part that looked forward to things, the part that knew how to teach in my classroom, all of them changed.
I didn’t mind the changes when I thought they would only be temporary, but when they persisted, I had to find a way to persist. I had to decide to make the best of the little bit of life I could see or stay lost. There certainly were some good things that came out of this past year, but I am looking forward to what new opportunities await me once the fog of COVID lifts.
Sometimes when you lose your way in the fog, you end up in a beautiful place. Don’t be afraid of getting lost.
Mehmut Murat ildan
I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge for the month of March. I will be posting every day this month. It is sponsored by twowritingteachers.org. #SOL21
Rita DiCarne 
“Once the fog of COVID lifts”…an excellent description! I’m so excited for the sunshine again!
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I actually teared up when I read these words because I could relate so much! “The part of me that enjoyed reading and writing, the part that looked forward to things, the part that knew how to teach in my classroom, all of them changed.” I hope the fog lifts soon!
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It’s eerie! What an apt description/comparison though — I especially loved the line about it being a year with low visibility and high anxiety. That’s definitely been the hardest part of all of this: not knowing.
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The fog metaphor also speaks to me–how little we can see right in front of us. And that idea of realizing that we have to find new ways to persist as this goes on …
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The fog metaphor certainly speaks to me. Great line – “It has been as if I have been driving in the fog and a part of me vanished in the mist.” Yes, I so know what you mean about when the pandemic persisted. We could rally temporarily, but a whole year? Well, here’s hoping the fog lifts soon and you can hug your grandkids again.
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Describing the past year as “a year with very low visibility and very high anxiety” is spot on, Rita. It’s actually the best description of what we’ve gone through that I’ve heard!
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