At tough times like this, it’s writing that has kept me going.
In between, my heartfelt thanks to friends who have phoned or messaged me. Some have read or commented on my posts to show their care. If you’re reading this, I wanted you to know that your support has been amazing!
Two weeks ago while I was home I received a call from Steve, my ex reporting manager in the last workplace. Likewise, he wanted to find out if I’m doing OK.
Before I picked up his call, I was in a middle of shredding papers. Honestly, they’d been sitting in the cupboard for years. From memories, never had I once gone back to look at them again. That afternoon I noticed the joints in the cupboard looking a bit too loose, I thought if I don’t do anything about it now, soon the whole unit will collapse.
Getting rid of those old documents (tax invoices/receipts over 7 years old and some marketing materials/ads) was the major achievement of the day. I don’t know how to explain it but it was indeed very therapeutic. I’d recommend it to everyone. If you’re bored at home, why not go over the stacks of papers and throw some out today.
Anyway, in the beginning of our conversation, I was telling him about life after redundancy and all that. Because Steve and I were both in the same boat, he could understand why I said I’m taking a break, not looking for jobs at the moment.
Well, job loss, been there, done that, I can handle it, but what’s been affecting me most more than anything else is the passing of my dog Jamie. Since he asked, I told him that creating a little shrine at home in honour of Jamie has given me a great sense of comfort but most importantly it was something I wanted to do to make sure that when life returns to “normal” and when things start to get busier again, I don’t forget about how much he meant to me and what we’d gone through together all those years.
Lastly, surprise surprise we were talking about the coronavirus pandemic. I was somewhat cynical about how it has brought out the worst in human nature. People have become so selfish and acted so irrationally. Behaviours like panic buying and hoarding stuff like toilet papers and facial tissues, leaving absolutely nothing in the shelves for other shoppers. It’s been so crazy. Just unbelievable some people.
Interestingly, Steve had a different take on the pandemic. Certainly more positive than mine. Like those front-line health workers in the hospitals, risking their lives helping cornonavirus patients fighting their lives. He did have a good point.
Scary but true, what we hold dear today can be taken away from us in a flash, faster than you can prepare for. The thing is, amid this cronoavirus crisis, people have started to take a step back and re-evaluate what’s really important in their life, it’s like pressing the reset button.
Pressing the reset button? Huh? Twice Steve mentioned this very same phrase during our conversation. What was he on about?
Sure, it’s time to press the reset button.
But what is it supposed to mean? For me, it’s about going back to the drawing board and starting all over again.
Nice try! It sounds a bit too vague. Am I bullshitting myself? I decided to walk away from writing for a day or two and see what I’d come up with.
So, a little less than 24 hours later, now I got it.
Pressing the reset button on your life is not about adding more stuff into life, instead, by going back to the beginning of this post about paper shredding and why I felt good about it, I realized…
It’s about removing stuff that no longer serves you…
Ted
Ted Tsai 