We Can’t Live in Close(d) Quarters

Nobody has got to remind anyone about the situation our world is in with COVID-19. All of our lives right now are upside down.

Some of us have family members who are gravely ill. Some of us have lost family and friends. And some of us are sitting at home desperately waiting for an “all clear” that even when it comes, we know we’re never going to be the same.

So as we sit at home trying to occupy our minds, all of us are hopefully reaching out to one another staying touch.

I’ve created a schedule to follow and for the most part, have stuck with it.

I get up at the same time I would get up for work (4:00 AM). I exercise for an hour, eat breakfast, write for two hours, take a shower, get dressed in ‘work-like” fashion, and spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon looking for work on the Internet. I close out the afternoon working on certifications for my hope-to-return-to-film industry job, and then I “clock-out” at 5 PM.

I’m one of those people that needs a schedule, or I don’t get anything accomplished.

After not hearing back from a film job I was offered last week, I realized that the demo reel I submitted was no good. Frustrated and upset, I went back to work, refashioning another demo reel.

***PERSONAL PLUG: PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK***

Sorry. I am looking for a job, and that’s the point.

All of the things each of us are doing at the moment to alleviate our present condition cannot overshadow what at this time is necessary. What is imperative is the safety and health of the people we love and care about.

However, being out of work bothers me. And I know there are at least 10 million other Americans who can say the same thing.

Looking for work at this moment seems pointless, but it’s a must for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, I’ve let it become an obsession.

The other day, something happened. After two hours of getting nowhere applying for jobs, my wife came into my office and asked if I would take a walk with her. I flat out refused by trying to explain to her that I needed to find a job. An argument ensued. She left the house by herself and took a walk.

Meanwhile, I went back to the job hunt. By the end of the day, I had pulled out even more of my hair, but it wasn’t just looking for work; that wasn’t the reason. I knew that refusing to take that walk with my wife was garbage.

I live in Florida. My state is locked down for the next month. Those jobs aren’t going anywhere. But my marriage sure can. It can either overcome this moment or get flushed down the toilet (with no toilet paper because there is none to be had.)

I’m not going to bulls**t you. You know as well as I do that being stuck at the house is hard.

I know some of us have little ones who have no real understanding of what all of this is about. They also don’t hold back in letting you know that.

I know what that is. I have a college junior with a car stuck at home. It’s almost the same thing.

Deep down, we’re all scared. We’re all living with the one thing we know, and that is we don’t know. We’re battling the fear for our lives, our families, our finances, and our future.

These past three weeks, I have made it a point to stay in touch with my family throughout the country, yet I couldn’t make the time for a walk with my wife. How stupid is that?

We need each other now more than ever for that reassurance that this will come to an end. People need people. That’s what being human is all about.

Whatever you’re doing to cope with all of this, I hope it’s healthy and productive. We need to use this time creatively and find some kind of positive in all of this.

If that’s binging on the TIGER KING(UGH! but it’s so good), taking a walk, holding that crying three-year-old, or hiding that 20-year-old’s car keys so they can’t sneak out in the middle of the night, do it!

Two days ago, we had a “family night” making face masks from designers we found on the Internet. If that isn’t reflective of this time, I don’t know what is.

Try(and I know that’s easier said than done)not to make this living in “closed quarters.” Make it close quarters. Ultimately, having this mindset is how we are going to make it. And we’ll make it together.