water teaches four important lessons:
what you see is often your projection
what is soft can also be powerful
persistence can break barriers
change is always happening
–yung pueblo
On Friday, the 20th day of isolation, we took a long drive and ended up in someone else’s neighborhood. We sat for a long time on some rocks while watching the waves ripple across the horizon. We let the sun warm our skin and our souls. We let any bad feelings we had that week go with the wind. Our conversations came in waves, and we were okay with that. And for that afternoon, we let a sense of normalcy wash over us.
We laughed at dudes taking pictures with and of their Mustang cars. I cherished a wildflower that Brandon picked for me off the side of the road. We shared and admired a beautiful view with strangers safely and distantly as we all tried to get the perfect Instagram shot on our phones. Our hearts skipped a beat with every dog that walked by. The cars whizzing by comforted us and let us know that we weren’t alone, that we were all in this together. For the first time in a long time, we were present in that moment and it felt good.
It felt damn good.
On the drive there and back, we listened to the radio like the good ole days. It felt good to hear another fellow human’s voice. We skipped stations when a song came on that didn’t make us want to sing along or dance. Brandon rolled his eyes as I belted out to new songs he didn’t know like Justin Bieber’s “Intentions” and to Doja Cat’s “Say So,” but he let me have those moments even though he was driving and therefore gets veto power on music.
It’ll be interesting to listen to those same songs years from now and think back to these times.
Our motto these days seems to be “Get what you need.” From comfort food (aka junk food) to impulse purchases (plant stands, clothes, candles, video games) to daily neighborhood walks to get some fresh air, we’re soothing ourselves with whatever makes us feel calm and better. We’ve found a lot of joy in the small things–a crisp breeze blowing through our window; blue skies and sunshine; our houseplants; naps in the afternoon; our moms’ home cooking; comfy clothes; Disney+; and everything in between. After chasing minimalism for almost three years now, this get-what-you-need mindset is a little refreshing during this time. We’re still trying to be conscious, but it also feels good to be able to get what we want.
Here’s to getting what we need.
Here’s to chasing and choosing joy during these strange and unprecedented times.
Here’s to all of us being part, but together.
THE PLEB LIFE 