I recently had to do nothing and it was the most difficult task I had had for some time.
On our return from Egypt and travels in Sicily, Beverly and I found we had contracted covid. At first it seemed she simply had a bad cold, picked up on an airplane no doubt, but when it didn't respond to the usual cold remedies of time in bed and fluids we did the rapid antigen test and watched the two red bars develop on the indicator pad. I was negative for a few days but came in positive on the third. I had already done a quick shop and our freezer would keep us fed for a month if necessary. So, there we were: nothing to do and nowhere to go. Horrible.
And yet, there were people for whom I had the highest regard who had advocated for our doing nothing on a regular basis. Sounds strange, but there you are.
David Suzuki wrote, "Illnesses force idleness on people. We require time in bed to recuperate; rest is non-negotiable. So, too, the climate situation demands idleness from society. We must listen to the body in sickness; we must listen to the planet in crisis. At the very least, we need to slow down."
And he referenced a 1932 essay by Bertrand Russell who said, "I think that there is far too much work done in the world, that immense harm is caused by the belief that work is virtuous.” Well, I stopped paid career work twenty-five years ago (thanks teachers' retirement plan), but it was hard to just grind to a halt. Still, after a year in China and four months in Peru, when Uvic sent me an email asking if I wanted to teach another session before I reached their compulsory retirement age of sixty-five, I decided "Nope, I'm done".
Hah, and how long did that last? Probably every one of you reading this is volunteering on some committee or other, lending your experience to a group with goals similar to yours, or just having fun with friends. Sometimes and at the best of times, work is fun and that's what we get to make of it in retirement. Back to us and covid.
It's been five days now and the draining sinuses, hacking cough and "sack-of-dirt" lethargy have pretty well gone. Most important, the double red bars on the rapid antigen test pad have gone to one. OK, science says I'm healthy. Now what?
I don't know as I care about the test-determined index of health. I feel better and that's good. The garden chaos that has been chiding me from beyond my desk perch and which I have answered by closing the drapes now seems manageable bit by bit. I may even make Beverly her morning tea. But returning to full-on read all the email, read all the news feeds, donate here or there, write another letter, even finish this screed? Not so much.
I often finish that morning hour of reading in a state of exhaustion, my old brain overwhelmed by reportings of the horrible state of the world. Remember the Desiderata that we all had posted on our walls in the 1970s? It wasn't written on some church wall in Boston in the 1600s, but by a poet, Max Erhmann in 1927. Here it is.
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
— Max Ehrmann, 1927