A little over a year ago, I left my employer, the state of North Carolina, for health reasons. I was not sure what the future held but I felt a forty hour a week job was out. So now what? In the mornings I'd walk around the neighborhood with my wife, Thu and our pit-mix, Ava. Actually, Thu and Ava walked and I cruised along on my power chair like a boss. The cool morning air felt good. We would came home eat and have coffee. Then, I would space out in front of youtube for awhile. Some afternoons I'd go shopping with Thu using my roscooter to get around. Other days, I'd simply nap after a long morning of youtube. It did not take long for the novelty of not working to wear off. It still felt good not having to struggle through workdays with hip, back and leg pain and accompanying dizzy spells. Being a youtube vegetable for the rest of my days did not (and still does not) feel like much of a life. It was time to come up with something better. I took a power chair cruise alone one warm, sunny afternoon.
Then it hit me! Art via graphic design. I sold my soul to the Adobe Corporation for awhile and gained access to all of Creative Suite. I relearned some Photoshop and Illustrator and started creating. It was good for me. I slowly got back into writing as well. So now I had a few things to do to stop my brain turning to mush. I found out there were free alternatives to the Adobe monthly fee based programs and cancelled it. Photopea is one. I'm still able to create artwork and learn new skills in the process. Will this turn into employment one day? Who knows? I like creating with words as much as with computer programs. I blog, write short stories, and am working on book number II, Seeds of Utopia- Seeds of Rebellion. While it is nice writing for myself having no deadlines or due dates has slowed the process! There are other things I'd like to do, like travel and teach English as a Second language but they are on hold. Covid-19.
Covid-19 threw a wrench into all of our lives. The ACC Tournament stopped cold along with all sports. People hoarded toilet paper. The economy went into a tailspin after shutdowns and cities became ghost towns. And it is only getting worse. We reopened too fast and too many failed to take it seriously not wearing masks, going to bars, parties, churches, weddings and numerous other crowed gatherings. I will not get too political on this blog but I have to say our so-called leadership failed us completely. Going into the Fall it feels like it is going to get much worse. We can make it as long as you are hearing big trucks rolling, the internet stays on and we don't blow up our healthcare systems. Covid-19 is not going anywhere anytime soon, thank you antimaskholes, party people and anyone else who is pretending it is all over. So where does that leave me now?
The wheels keep turning as they say. I plan to keep writing, do a little art here and there and pretty much stay my ass home this Fall. This video, Locus of Control, has helped me a lot. Where we are in life is a direct result of our own choices. We can make different choices to change things or not. None of us chose Coronavirus but we can all choose how we respond to it. I think we always have choices.
Some of My Works on Amazon
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