Let’s Make Some Order in This Chaos

Chel Owens

I haven’t felt like writing. My busy blog-posting indicates otherwise, except that I’ve mostly written about Real Life. The world of fiction is not a place I want to go now that it’s knocking on my door and popping into my e-mails and being re-posted on my social media.

Dystopia is one of my favorite subjects. I intend to write a science fiction and/or futuristic novel someday. Maybe I’ll do Skinwalkers or Since the Bombs Fell or “Open the Sky“… But, like I said, that future is here. It’s not so intriguing when I’m living it.

I think I assumed I’d not be alive during a post-apocalyptic scenario.

I definitely assumed I’d be fit, well-armed, well-stocked, and driving an army Jeep.

It’s not quite as awesome to be wearing pajamas, carrying around postpartum baby weight, caring for five children, and occasionally driving a minivan.

The day-to-day sitting around involved with Coronavirus is precisely why they never showed Jack Bauer using the bathroom in his 24 hour days.

white tissue paper roll on white wicker basket

Maybe if TP was in short supply in one of the episodes, they would have included a bathroom scene.

I do better in the midst of chaos; needing to grab that last Clorox wipe, save the child from uncertain school days, or stumble to the wall while the world shakes. When all is calm and all is bright, I stay awake as anxiety gnaws at my conscience. What if we get sick? Will the boys ever have school again? What, exactly, do we do in a stronger earthquake?

My husband says worrying does nothing. I say it’s all I can do. If I don’t remember to worry about it, then I am doing nothing. He then says something about the Serenity Prayer…

Which helps me realize that waiting may be difficult, but it may be what we all need to do right now. Realizing this helps me realize I need a plan besides buy, worry, panic. Realizing all of those things helps me realize I ought to accept the things I cannot change and write up a schedule for life and blogging.

It may be infrequent, but I’d like to include the following:

  1. Interviews with my friends, especially those who have published and wish to share their work(s).
  2. Book reviews of the books I will get myself to read, especially if I manage to read the work(s) my friends have published.
  3. More poetry.
  4. More fiction.
  5. Bad poetry, of course. I think we need it.
  6. Some creative projects outside of writing. I art on occasion. I could share more.
  7. Favorite books, music, art, people, whatever.

I never have time for me when the children are home all day, so my chance of daily posts is not very high unless I schedule ahead. Still, I need this outlet. Twofacebook may have a lot more people on it now, but it’s mostly chainmails and reposts. No one likes my informational statistics on COVID for some reason…

If you have ideas of other things I could include on the blog, let me know. If you would like to be interviewed, let me know. As always, thank you for joining me on…

Well, thank you for joining me on my blog, anyway.

—————-

Here’s the past week:
Wednesday, March 25: “Going Postal, II,” the second in my serial story about Ron the postman.

Friday, March 27: Wrote an update on the Coronavirus situation ’round here.

And, crowned the winner of the Weekly Terribly Poetry Contest. Congratulations to Ruth!

Saturday, March 28: Announced the Weekly Terrible Poetry Contest. The theme is Springtime, or Autumntime. PLEASE ENTER!

Monday, March 30: Posted just after midnight with another Coronavirus update.

And, shared Gary’s inspirational quote.

AND, wrote “Desert Dreams” for Carrot Ranch’s prompt

AND AND, visited the new Saddle Up Saloon and Poet Tree, where I was interviewed. Head on over to leave a poem from the prompt “off shoot.”

Tuesday, March 31: “Going Postal, III.”

And, wrote yet another Coronavirus update.

Wednesday, Date: Today.

I also posted on my motherhood site. I think. I’ve scheduled a few poems over there, like “Mother of Two” and “The Busy Person’s Poem.”

 

Photo Credit: Pexels and GIPHY

 

©2020 Chelsea Owens

33 thoughts on “Let’s Make Some Order in This Chaos”

  3. I can’t believe you made time to come by the Saddle Up Saloon, but am sure glad you did. (I still can’t wrap my head around Terrible Poetry, but am sure glad to have helped spread it; the Poet Tree JR is growing quite rapidly for your visit)
    Write on!

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  5. Hang in there. Glad to see you making a plan to try to make your own normalcy out of the madness. Our kids are grown and out of the house, which gives us a little more time to put things into perspective, of sorts. Use the talents you’ve been blessed with and skills you’ve developed to help others as you help yourself. Thanks for sharing.

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  7. As Black Adder said, that plan is so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel. The only other thing I might add would be when you feel like it just post what your feeling (good, bad or s***). Each one of us just has to find a way of living until a new normal rolls in. It’s now over 3 weeks since I saw another human face close up (apart from son). It’s a bizarre feeling. My connection to the wider world is through wonderful blogs like yours and marvel movies. Whatever you do I will look forward to it.
    I had a painting of a space rocket put up in the town library when I was 8. With all the paint it was about 1 inch thick – does that count me in as published……

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    1. 😀 Weasel it is. Thank you for the encouragement. I feel the same about yours and my other friends’ blogs, though I’ve been so deep in micromanaging my kids that I’ve not even seen my favorite bloggers’ ‘faces’ for days…

      Yes, I’d count your rocket ship painting as being published!

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  9. Ya know what helps me get through my days. The outside sounds of nature moving along as if its just another day. Despite the fact, that I have been beset with an allergy that probably morphed into a cold but could also be covid-19 as my anxiety makes me feel. But hearing birds and the wind, the rain, seeing the sun shine and plant life thrive, brings a calm to my soul.

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      1. i broke through what was most likely a fever yesterday (course my wife managed to accidentally break two thermometers which are now even harder to find than toilet paper) still feel off my game today but not hopelessly ill like two summer’s ago when i was down for the count with a food bourne illness from eating imported raw almonds

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  10. It has to be tough having the boys home all the time. No downtime for you. When this pandemic hit and the schools were closed my daughter went out and bought five different board games. After just three weeks the grandkids are all bored with the board games. Starting Monday the educational arm of the province has introduced mandatory on-line learning courses for kindergarten to grade 12 students (5-18 year olds). Younger children have to study for one hour a day and high school students have to study three hour per course. Could be interesting in how that will work out.

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    1. It’s been interesting. We have online material. The teachers have been really good about lessons and helps.

      We’re also good in terms of computer and board games. I just need an indoor gym.

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  11. I have faith this will work out in the end, well for most people. Well immediately? Within the next year? Maybe not. But that’s kind of the price of living in a historical moment; we look at “the greatest generation” as the greatest because of their childhoods and early adulthoods of tremendous suffering, then their ability to overcome that – but that was situational, and they were only “greatest” because of their time.

    This is a large, earth-scale problem that every individual is touched by. It’s kind of amazing, really, that something so small we need tools to see it can be so important. It’s endlessly fascinating.

    I’ll look forward to your blog posts, and even though whatever I say probably doesn’t help with the worry, I hope things will work out for you and your health sooner rather than later. 🙂

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    1. That’s how I feel as well: that it is a historical moment. I agree about its fantastic nature. So amazing and so terrible.

      Thank you for your compliments and hope.

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