I’m not feeling too creative or insightful tonight, but thought I’d write about some things that have really surprised me during quarantine. I’m going to start with the one that I dislike the most and then talk about two that I’ve really enjoyed about sheltering in place. 

1. Mask Acne

Is anyone else getting mask acne? I wonder if mine is popping up so much because I was running with a mask, so it was real swampy in there… gross, but honest. What’s funny is, I didn’t connect the zits that were popping up on the sides of my mouth and on my chin with my mask until a friend casually mentioned it. The two of us have been quarantining together and we were walking back to our apartment building when I mentioned that I was really breaking out on my chin, but strangely, nowhere else. 

“Oh, yeah,” he said, “mask acne.”

Honestly, as soon as he said it, I felt like slapping myself. I had been wracking my brain for weeks trying to figure out why my skin had gotten so bad in such a confined area. Yet it had never crossed my mind that the regular use of masks, which cover this exact area, could be the cause. 

No powers of deduction here! 

2. The Jitters Shield

One positive development that I’ve noticed is that my presentation skills seem to have improved. The keyword here is “seem.” You see, what I’ve actually realized is that Zoom meetings are the ideal form of public speaking for me. Because the viewers can only see my head, neck, and shoulders, they don’t notice that I’m wringing my hands and bouncing my legs up and down to eradicate the nerves that have filled my body. I seem professional, while jitters escape out of camera view. 

On the other hand, when I’m not presenting and am just in a Zoom meeting, I find that my timing is consistently off. I never know when to speak and when I do, it’s always a bit too loud or talking over someone else. 

And as a Myers Briggs mediator, I have an innate need to make other people in the Zoom feel heard. This leads to awkward moments of unmuting myself so that they can hear that I’ve laughed at the witticisms or not-so-witticisms that they’ve just said—often awkwardly themselves over this video medium. The result is a silence.chuckle.slience.chuckle conversation on my end. 

3. Murder, She Wrote

Finally, during quarantine, I’ve discovered my true nature as a 75-year-old woman. I’ve always been old for my age. I loved old movies growing up. I’ve always enjoyed reading. I tried knitting as a hobby for a while. And I love eating dinner at 4:30 in the afternoon. 

Now that we’re stuck inside, I find that this side of my personality really thrives. One of my biggest pleasures has become watching Murder, She Wrote. I always saw it on the TV Guide (do you remember those?) and thought that I would like it, but never bothered to watch it until now. 

Though there are some real questionable moments, overall, the beauty of it is the fact that it's essentially the same plot over and over again. Not only that but the fact that our heroine is always practical and straightforward is really soothing.

I wonder if, in all this madness, I was subconsciously seeking that “no-nonsense” attitude. When I couldn’t find it in myself (I’m more prone to panic attacks personally), I looked elsewhere. And voila! The voice of Mrs. Potts solving crimes and jogging in a tracksuit. Who could ask for anything more?

It could also be the fact that there’s nothing better than a show set in a small town. From Stars Hollows of Gilmore Gilrs to Cabot Cove of Murder, She Wrote, these quaint settings are exactly what a girl in the middle of a deserted yet still overly populated city needs. Especially during the fall!

Excuse me now as I brew a cup of chamomile tea, eat a chocolate biscuit, and watch another episode. Give me a G. Give me an R. Give me an A. Give me an M. Give me another M. Give me an A. Give me an L. Give me a Y. Give me an F. Give me an E. What’s that spell? 

GRAMMA LYFE. And I’m living it. 

Besides, with my broken toe, I now have an extra hour in my day to watch another episode or four. 

Question for you: What are some of the things you’ve discovered about your life in quarantine?