I AM ESSENTIALLY ON LOCKDOWN

I woke up this morning and the sun was up - that’s quite foreign for me. I usually wake up to the sound of 702 at 04h30 every day, except on a Sunday, but today was different. There was a stillness in the air and all I could hear were the music of birds chirping. They were not on lockdown.

I AM.

So my day began at 07h30. I immediately hobbled to the kitchen and put the kettle on for coffee, made my bed, opened all the doors in my home and invited the melody of birds and fresh air into my home. I paused however on my upstairs balcony and thought of all the people who are living in townships and waking up on day 1. People who don’t have panoramic views to enjoy like I do, from a balcony. People who live in a tiny space with no running water, wifi or stove. Sadness overwhelmed me.

GOD FIRST

I usually study only a few pages of the Bible at a time, because I allow myself to contextualize, comprehend, and scrutinize what is being said in what period in history and to whom. Today, I read the entire book of Amos - that concept dissolved. I wanted to spend more time with my Father because I am alone and I will be alone for the next three weeks. I prayed and didn’t cap my conversation with Him this morning because I wasn’t on shift. Also, meet James. He is my Holy Spirit. As I got on with my day doing my usual chores I often spoke to him out loud. It may sound a bit mental, but I truly believe that he moves with me all the time, and pre-lockdown found me parking at every mall right near the entrance.

EXERCISE

I cycled for the first time on an indoor trainer today and it was amazing. The saddle was mine and pedaling on my own bike was very gratifying. I also noticed some new neighbors emerge on their balconies. One was sipping on wine and having a smoke, his wife right beside him in a sun hat under a massively green umbrella, reading a book. Another man, shirtless, was doing some carpentry. Over the course of the day, I noticed another neighbor washing his car, and overheard chatter from those taking short walks to our communal bin.

NUTRITION

I really care about my body and seeing that I ate McDonalds, a pie and 7 cheese puffs this week as we went into lockdown, I have decided to calm down and calorie count. On days when I’m not working I’ve resolved to try and eat very low-calorie and low-carb meals. I made this decision yesterday and tried my best to stick to my plan today. For lunch I made mussels and fried chips but don’t judge me just yet. I burnt almost 500 calories during my cycle prior to lunch and skipped my morning snack. I ate a hot cross bun for tea and for supper had two scrambled eggs and began to intermittently fast at 8pm. I will break this fast at 12pm tomorrow.

OTHER

Other activities today consisted of me blogging, reading, and perusing the timelines of FB, Instagram and Twitter every couple of hours. I also did my laundry, cuddled with my cat, fed her and checked in with some friends and family. Tomorrow I’m going to work on some sort of a routine on my off days, so I can live purposefully instead of passing time haphazardly during this lockdown. I still want to be as productive as I can be.

‘…the Lord created the stars and put them into place. He turns darkness to dawn and daylight to darkness. He scoops up the ocean and empties it on the earth.’ Amos 5:8