Advocate writers share

Here’s what TEAM ADVOCATE MEMBERS have been doing to get by

Roderick Benns

It feels like I’ve been working harder since the pandemic began. But I’ve carved out the time to go on long walks with my daughter. Joli and I have also enjoyed binging Cardinal, the dark police thriller filmed in North Bay. Reading: Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline and in fiction, The Girl Who Was Saturday Night.

Joli Scheidler-Benns

I tore the tendon in my elbow and developed tendinitis in both elbows and shoulders during the time when preventive health care places were closed. In response my dear friend, Paola, created a deep core yoga video for me to follow and heal. A few surprise porch drop-offs of various goodies added some cheer. Online meetings became common.

Denis Grignon

Seven years ago, I pulled my groin playing hockey at the rec centre in Lindsay. People in Kinmount, I’m sure, heard my screams. “Stretch more,” they said. Ultimately, though, the couch won; I’ve barely played since. But the pandemic has meant more time to stretch - and reflect. The goal? Returning to (old man) game shape. That’s what’s kept me going.

Nancy Payne

I’m taking an additional walk most days. It’s calming and gives me perspective to watch spring unfold, oblivious to our human preoccupations. I avoid news stories obsessed with placing blame, and speculative ones that lean heavily on words like “may” and “could” — they just leave me feeling stressed and helpless. Work is actually a blessing, as are “thinking-ofyou” texts from friends.

Kirk Winter

I have been very fortunate to self isolate with my wife and youngest son who is home from university. We have had much time to talk, play games and re-watch all seven seasons of The West Wing. I have also used the time to get comfortable in my new position as government/ education reporter for The Lindsay Advocate.

Trevor Hutchinson

Thankfully COVID-19 has been mostly just lots of work for me. I baked cookies once when I was feeling guilty about buying flour. Virtual happy hour and virtual church occasionally made up for my lack of socialization. When I was feeling really bad about being a hor rible home-schooling parent, I would read pro-machine gun tweets from local councillors and laugh.

We're all in this together

Ian McKechnie

I suspect that my experience during this pandemic scarcely differs from that of other folks in that I’ve spent a great deal of time in the kitchen. Aside from that, I’ve been working remotely; dabbling in some family history; taking a professional development course online; playing Scrabble with the family and going for plenty of long walks.

Geoff Coleman

I spend a lot of time fishing. Having a stream to yourself is kind of the Holy Grail, so trout anglers are hoping to social distance everyone, everywhere, all the time they are fishing. I have been training like this for 50 years, so coping with the restrictions isn’t too difficult.

Judy Paul

While I dearly miss my social activities, being retired means that much of my day-to-day routine has not changed. I’ve been baking sourdough bread, walking, reading, knitting, writing, watching Netflix, and spring cleaning. Listening to music, a Zoom birthday celebration with songs, stories and readings from friends and family, and playing ukulele with the “Ukuladies” has helped to boost my spirits.

Jamie Morris

Family and the ever-longer, warmer, more birdsong-filled days. Walks with my extremely significant (especially now) other along the Scugog, and long chats from opposite sides of the street with friends and neighbours we encounter while out walking. The library’s digital resources — movies, audiobooks, my first ever e-books. The prospect of the community garden opening.

Sylvia Keesmaat

My 99-year-old grandmother recently visited for a week. Reflecting on her life in the Netherlands during the Second World War puts COVID-19 deprivations in perspective. She also trusts God’s promise that, no matter what, seed time and harvest will never cease. As spring emerges, I realize that this trust also carries me when everything else seems to be crumbling.