Lock-down

I am reading many social media posts from people who enjoyed the lock down, found serenity and completed projected in their to-do list.

Well here are my thoughts...

1. I HATE lock-down! After two weeks I felt like a caged tiger and I definitely did not experience inner peace while contemplating quiet serenity! I still hate puzzles and I really hate board games. No amount of boredom could change my mind on that. During the lock-down period, I was inspired to change my life mantra of “Coffee and Wine” (give me coffee for the strength to manage the things I can manage and give me wine to help deal with the things I cannot deal with) to “Humor and Wine” (give me humor to change my perspective and give me wine to pass the time). Thank you to everyone who sent the hysterical memes over the past few weeks.

2. Time flies in lock-down and I didn’t even get to watch my Netflix list let alone make inroads on my very long to-do list. I learnt that I am much more productive when I have less time racing around at a million miles. I write blogs on hikes, plan trips on boring conference calls, use flights to complete my to-do lists.

3. Zoom shows make me feel sad and watching Broadway shows made me wonder why I pay for these things! They were boring and isolating without the ambiance and social interaction of going to a real theater or concert.

4. Yes you and your husband can drink 10 plus bottles of wine in addition to vodka each week and have no hangover. It’s humanly possible and no we are not alcoholics we were passing our boredom by tasting Israel’s fabulous wines.

5. My body refused to sleep more than 5 hours. Even when I had the time and really tried!!!!

6. I felt like I was living in a genteel European city rather than in Israel. People respected lines and they were so polite and friendly. Sales people in stores can actually look up and smile. It’s the one effect of Coronavirus I am hoping will last...

7. The guy at the makolet on our block (local market) has my back, when there was a shortage of eggs in Israel before Pesach, he would hide one or two dozen of scarce resource for me every day. Even when I had more than I could possibly need, I felt bad not to buy the prized produce he had squirreled away for his favorite customers.We are still eating the eggs he hoarded for me before Pesach!

8. Even in a pandemic rules are negotiable. For the most part Israelis followed the social distancing and lock down rules. For Israelis, following directives in a war-like situation is unfortunately a familiar occurrence. It’s been an interesting sociological study watching people stop following orders as soon as the Covid-19 enemy was perceived to be neutralized. The new rules seem to be more social and less distance!

9. After experiencing the half-heartened and pathetically delivered Israeli distance education delivered piece meal and inadequately with limited resources during the lock down, I keep explaining to exasperated parents that this is exactly what parents of special needs children doing inclusion experience on a daily basis!

10. Social media taught me that the crazies are crazier than ever. I saw the Rabbis who shamelessly use their positions of influence to expose dubious pseudoscience or bring common sense social distancing and lock-down directives from the health authorities into question. There is nothing like a global pandemic to make the true colors of the givers, the takers, the humorists and complainers. It was interesting to see the hypocrites who would attack for one thing and applaud me for the next depending on their agenda. I suddenly had so many constitutional law experts who provided commentary on the Israeli elections in my feed who suddenly also seemed to have advanced degrees in public health policy and virology when Coronavirus hit. It was good to weed out these people to make room for new friends as I am limited to 5000 friends.

11. Last year I was away from home for 200 nights. I don’t think I have never spent six weeks in my own bed in a row.However, with the amazing job Israel has done in getting the infection rate under control, I am not desperate enough to travel. Even the tempting offer of 50% off fares and free accommodation in Sicily is not enough to tempt me.

Just in time for Israel’s 72nd Independence Day, I realized that just like it took Hamas to be my Aliya shaliach (I was in Israel in 2014 during the war when I felt inspired to make Aliya) so too it took a global pandemic to make me actually realize how good my life is in Israel!!!

I am now also part of the #liveloveisrael fan club!

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