Memories of the Covid quarantine resonate strongly with who I am today. The pandemic, in all its ugliness and fear, was a turning point for me, allowing me time to stop, re-evaluate, and embrace the man I truly am.
While locked inside month after month, I realized I had a choice. I could waste time glued to the television or look in the mirror and discover the stranger I saw staring back at me. I chose the latter and am so glad I did.
I’m not going to say it was easy because it wasn’t, but the man I am today is a result of that journey of self-discovery.
As the quarantine neared its end, I was invited to contribute to an anthology of Covid related stories by editor Paul Iarrobino.
At first, I was hesitant, thinking all the stories, including mine, would be maudlin and sad, but I was wrong. There’s a beautiful sense of hope that resonates throughout the book, with a new sense of love and appreciation for life weaving its way through these beautifully written personal experiences.
The resulting book, COVIDOLOGY: Sharing Life Lessons from Behind the Mask was published in August 2022.
Here is an excerpt from my story, “It Started with a Walk...”:
I often think about the pre-Covid-quarantine me and the post-Covid-quarantine me and I see very few similarities. It’s like that pre-quarantine me is someone I used to know, someone who desperately needed to be awakened, someone who needed permission to leave the past behind and live in the moment, to be present in who I am.
We don’t always know each other’s story. A little gesture of kindness, like giving someone a pinecone, can ignite a dormant part of us and inspire us to grow. So now whenever I take my walks, I make sure to say hello to the people I pass. It’s my way of letting them know I see them, I acknowledge them, and they are not invisible.
I am proud to have my story a part of this collection.
For more information about COVIDOLOGY: Sharing Life Lessons from Behind the Mask, please visit:
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