There isn’t a single one of us that isn’t affected by the Coronavirus. Most states are under some form of lockdown. In Ohio, Governor DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton have issued an isolation order, as well. Staying home isn’t easy when you have to do it, even though most of us think that we would love to be at home all the time. Finding things to occupy our days seems a daunting task. Look at social media and you will see a huge uptake in videos being posted during this time.
I work for a company that has been classified as essential, as I said earlier this week, and get out of the house daily. That helps, but when I leave it to go home and not go anywhere else. That is difficult because I do get cabin fever pretty quickly, when I’m forced to stay at home. And this weekend will be even harder because it’s the one-year anniversary of my boyfriend and me. We have already been coming to terms with the fact that our vacation on April 17th will have to be cancelled, but not doing anything for our anniversary is not an option.
The Plan
So, what do we do for our anniversary? It’s easy to buy a nice gift, plan an expensive dinner, and a night on the town. We decided that we should focus on the “us” part more than the spending to make it memorable. Starting off with a walk in a park nearby or maybe later in the night. This gets us out of the house for a bit and helps tear down the tension that is building up from this event. We also decided that it would be an “unplugged” event. No smartphones, no internet, fewer powered lights, and more candles. A small dinner that we both contribute to so it’s more personal. We have also planned for creative projects that we can do together. Painting, coloring, and maybe even coloring eggs. And of course, talking. One of the best things about our relationship is our ability to talk through almost anything. I like to believe that we have no secrets between one another, and we have shared some of the more buried parts of our lives. This allows us to realize that arguments are from misunderstandings, mostly. And it gives us a chance to work through them.
The Why’s of It All
Originally, we planned on going out together, for a night of together. We wanted to start by going to the bar that is responsible for us being together, All Ax’s. Earlier this year we realized that would be impossible because of the quick closing of the bar. So that required us to have to rethink what we were going to do. Then with the onset of this pandemic, everything else had to change. Since the point of an anniversary is to celebrate the union of the two people, we knew that the “what to do” of the night wouldn’t be nearly as important as the “why” we are together. All too often, most couples fall into routines and forget the amazing chain of events that have to take place for two people to come together. Heck the story of how we got together is nothing short of an amazing misunderstanding.
The isolation that this virus has caused can be very overwhelming, especially if you are facing it alone. We can all find ways to help lessen the massiveness of it by looking at things through different lenses. We have to learn to utilize what we have around us better. You may be stuck in your house alone, but you don’t have to be lonely. Using social media to talk to your friends is a good way to help lessen the stigma of being isolated. Setting up FaceTime or Skype with family and friends is also a means to connect to people while still being safe. Take a cue from the planning that we are doing for our anniversary. Look at things differently or how you can augment them to fit the current situation. I would love to hear any of your ideas for lessening the stress of this isolation and all that this pandemic has created. Hit the follow button to stay up to date, as well.
Gay in the CLE 