Are You Anti-Social…or broke?

It seems like a lifetime ago that two words entered our world: Coronavirus and Covid 19. In fact, it’s probably been about two or three months…depending upon who you ask. Much longer than that…depending upon who you ask.

With social media and news reports updating the world on a daily basis, it’s hard to know what the facts are. In my world I can read about the thousands of those infected, the thousands who have died, and what we as the human race can do to avoid it…and I still don’t know of one person who has it, had it, or passed from it. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

The information we are receiving from various sources is like standing in line at the grocery store in front of the magazine display. Each magazine headline may be about the same celebrity but they all contradict each other. So who to believe????

Anybody who is anybody are making TV commercials about staying at home. In addition to that, the number of folks putting their ‘stay-at-home’ craft and project ideas on social media are really missing out on an opportunity to appear on Shark Tank. Lots of good ideas out there but since the majority of stores are closed, it will be difficult to purchase some of the items needed for these projects.

So where does the ‘anti-social’ part of this come in? Yesterday on Facebook someone posted this photo:

I read this and the very first thing that popped into my head is that the Coronavirus has not really affected my life except for traveling out of state. I’m still working because my company is considered essential business. I’m still able to buy groceries, purchase products online for home delivery, and take care of my house and yard as I always have.

However, I think anti-social was the wrong term to use in this picture. Why? Because for the first 30 years of my adult life I did not have the means to go out to dinner, out for drinks, to the movies, shopping, and have lunch with the girls without planning weeks in advance to come up with the money. I simply could not afford it. I remember for several years staying home on Thanksgiving and Christmas – ALONE – because I could not afford to waste the gas in my car to accept an invitation to someone’s house for dinner, nor could I afford extra groceries to bring a dish to pass. It was easier to make up excuses not to go. I wasn’t anti-social…I was broke.

The person in this photo appears to live on or near the wide open spaces where they can ride their horse, and with Rover at their side they are content to be alone. I don’t think they’re anti-social…they’re just doing what they enjoy.

I have always enjoyed being home. I feel comfortable and safe there. I have made my house into a home and am pleased with how it turned out. Planting flowers and vegetables makes me happy and there’s nothing like the smell of the dirt while planting. Except for how wonderful the laundry smells after hanging on the line all day. My home is my comfort zone but I don’t feel I’m anti-social. If I have to choose to go out on a weeknight or stay home, I choose home. Besides, I’m in bed by 8pm because I get up at 430am to go to work.

After this pandemic is over and with the probable restrictions in place for a while, I think more than a few people are going to find that they actually enjoyed being home, either alone or with their family.

You know what? There’s no place like home!