Over this past week I saw a nice meme: a sketch of a person vaguely Buddha-like, sitting in lotus position, with the words "If you can't go outside, go inside." Whatever you think of that kind of thing (and to be honest, I generally roll my eyes at such things), the message is a useful one for right now. A lot of us are stuck inside for the foreseeable future, trying to figure out how to make ends meet, trying not to miss our friends too much, trying not to panic, trying not to go too stir-crazy; and if we're lucky enough to be cooped up with spouse and family, learning how to not drive each other nuts in such tight quarters. And of course, we're also trying not to be consumed by anxiety.

I certainly don't have any answers or advice here, and am doing only the best I can myself. I'm just a musician. But during this enforced step back from "regular life" I've been thinking a lot about all the things that seemed absolutely essential on that old merry-go-round, and old mindsets too -- much of which seems dispensable from this vantage point, after just two weeks of mostly staying in and seeing nobody in person but my wife and cats -- and the neighbors, from across the way. I have a feeling a lot of people are going through a similar experience and that we will emerge from this trial much more focused on the truly essential things in life.

I recorded this music before the first week of isolation but it seems to suit the mood this morning, so I've chosen it along with this photo by Josh Hild from Pexels for this Friday. I hope you enjoy it.

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Full playlist of 2020 Improvisations

Photo by Josh Hild from Pexels