As the COVID-19 virus is keeping to threaten the lives of thousands of people, and public life has come to a halt in many parts of the world, life, in general, has become much slower.
I have to admit that I thought to stay in my apartment most of the time would be worse, but in fact, I find it cozy and not boring at all (yet). The time I save by working from home and not having to commute, I can use to finally go through older pictures, reorganize my closet and take the time for cooking more, playing chess again or for taking a long relaxing bath. And I take the time to go for walks – and I am glad that this is still allowed. Some fresh air works wonders after a long day at the desk and running in the park or strolling through my neighbourhood is a great way to get a little distracted from all the chaos around us these days. And it helps me look at my everyday surroundings in a new way – for example, I love this picture because it has so many details that tell stories of what life used to be in this neighbourhood: the advertising pillar, that used to be a common advertising space, the old gaslights, that are being replaced everywhere in the city but make such cozy light at night, and the old water pump, that used to provide water for the neighbourhood… These are all witnesses of the past, but we so easily overlook them in our everyday lives.
Tip: your government has not prohibited strolling through your neighbourhood yet, take the time to stroll through your surroundings. If you go alone (which is better in these times anyways) you can take the time to look at everything in more detail and you’ll be surprised how much new there is to discover right there.
