Summer is Over – Back to Writing

In the middle of summer, I quit Facebook. Although I miss a few conversations and seeing some pictures of people, mentally, I’m in a much better place. Additionally, I wanted to spend the summer with a few hours away from a computer screen. I spend all day in front of a computer for work and I wanted to spend my evenings with a book and a conversation.

And I really did.

Reading

In the first 20 months that we lived in Lexington, I read one book. Previously, I would read a book a week. But I relied on the Internet, news, and constant communication to entertain myself. But I missed literature. When I grabbed a book, I could not focus on it at first, so I have been slowly getting back into training my brain. Since Memorial Day, I have read 6 books and about 2/3 of the way through Sapiens, a 400-page book about mankind. I have rotated between fiction and non-fiction. I also tried to catch up on my comics. I spend too much money and buy a lot of comic books. But I would not read them. I had piles of months worth of comics near my desk. Today, I am approximately three weeks behind (instead of about 5 months behind).

Conversation

Next, Brian and I have made an effort to talk. It was not like we didn’t previously. But we would grab our phones, watch the TV, and comment on occasion. Each night (when he does not have a church meeting), we have dinner together at our little table. Max sleeps next to us, which works perfectly. Now, I added a board game to the mix.

I purchased the game Pandemic, which is a co-operative game. The goal is as a team of players, you defeat a series of four epidemics. Although Brian and I realized we have been cheating the whole time, it just meant we are not as good at the game as we think.

However, it gives us something fun to do. We laugh a bit and talk a lot about whether or not we should leave a continent infected. I highly recommend the game.

Happiness

Each morning, I take our dog, Max, outside. Then I have begun to meditate. I take between 15-20 minutes to just focus on my mental health. It doesn’t seem like a lot but it is enough to start my day off well. I have a nice breakfast and then read while enjoying our sunroom. I am working incredibly hard to just enjoy the small things in life. And this summer set me on the right course.

I will begin writing more again – some politics, some fiction, some reflections, and some comics. It’s fall. Time to get going again.