I’ve been preparing for this pandemic my whole life. It’s mid-July, about four months in with no end in sight. I am in the age bracket that is encouraged to stay home because we are more vulnerable. I don’t go much further than the grocery and library. I’m able to get my hair trimmed monthly. Occasionally my friend Lola and I will run an errand and then drive to “wherever” and back just to feel like we are going somewhere. I swim most days. I talk to Lola daily (our wellness check) and keep in touch with others.
My Solo Act looks something like this:
Cars: buying, maintaining, filling with gas, insuring, renewing tags, washing, vacuuming, and selling. Dealing with auto dealers is easier than it was in previous decades when a salesman actually made a point of showing me how the mirror on the backside of the visor lit up so I could see better to put on my makeup (while driving.) I hope he enjoyed seeing my backside as I walked to my old car and drove down the street to the next car dealer and bought a new one. On May 1st, I turned in my leased car and bought a newer version of the same car. In ten weeks, I have put a whopping 500 miles on it and just filled the tank for the second time.
Homes: buying and selling or leasing, maintaining, insuring, renovating. I made money buying and selling houses. It wasn’t the motivating factor, but it sure helped build a nest egg.
Moving: packing, storing, unpacking, upsizing, downsizing, changing my home address on credit cards, banks, etc. I have done this nineteen times and learned that most of the stuff we move around is just stuff. Most can be replaced or lived without. I’m probably not done moving yet but have nothing is in the works.
Food: planning a menu, making a list, shopping, putting away, and cooking for one. Cooking for one is the challenge. I don’t have to please anyone else, but I either eat the same thing several days in a row or freeze some to throw out after freezer burn sets in. A friend and I have enjoyed take out a few times, but we haven’t been to a sit-down restaurant in over four months. I wear my mask when shopping but am amazed at how many people don’t believe it helps, don’t care, or think to care for the welfare of others somehow infringes on their rights.
Vacations and Travel: deciding where, when, what, planning, travelling solo, paying a premium to travel solo. I would like to be more adventurous in this area. But right now, no one wants to see Americans coming and will turn us away at the border. (Interesting turn of events.) Living in Florida, one of the top three states on COVID charts, no one should want to see any of us travelling domestically. I’ll stay home, it’s safer for you.
Entertainment: reading, knitting, swimming, walking, and yoga are all solo activities so I’m good there. I’m not able to see movies on the big screen with friends because theaters are not open. I can binge on all sorts of shows via my smart TV, and have.
Companionship: except for that time I lived with a roommate in New York City, I have lived on my own, a solo act responsible for all aspects of life, never able to say, “Honey, will you please stop at the store and pick up…, or take care of…, or argh, the washer stopped in mid-cycle…” I know there is the other side of cohabiting: “Put the seat down, put your socks in the hamper, I just need some space so go outside and fix something…”
There are advantages to living alone. I never have to check-in, ask for an opinion, compromise, or consider another person. There are disadvantages to living alone. There is no one to share the ups and downs of life, no one to talk to, ask for an opinion, no one to take care of you when you’re sick, no one to touch you the way a partner touches you. This is not a pity party. I would rather be alone than in a ‘bad relationship’, and I’ve had my share of those. (No, this is not a tell-all.)
Pandemic Life: all of the above have prepared me to isolate and “stay at home” during the pandemic. That and being an introverted homebody comfortable with the silence of being a solo act.
I recognize that this life of mine would not have been possible without the support of parents, family, friends, and colleagues along the way. Thank you one and all for putting up with my quirks.
Travels with Mary Sue 