I do not plan to spend all my time in quarantine on news, emergency preparation, or even social media and reality tv. It is essential to maintain physical and mental health during the isolation and restrictions of quarantine. It also presents an opportunity to sharpen our minds and feed our spirits! So here is a list of what I intend to read, listen to, and watch during this first week of quarantine. I’d love to hear what you are reading and watching too! Post it!
Printed books:
The Bible: This is nothing new to the many of you whom I respect. You have set this example and inspired me to emulate the most important daily activity of all! For the rest of my friends, I’d like to say what a difference it makes to begin my day with God, even before I look at text messages, social media, news, or anything else (except for my cup of coffee). Reading God’s word and praying about my thoughts, actions, and words for the coming day makes all the difference in the world!
Washington, Volume 1, the young years, written by Douglas Southall Freeman and published in 1948. I have been reading different books about our founding fathers for a couple of years. In this time, when some want to vilify them or tear down the pillars of this wonderful nation they founded, I find it helpful and inspirational to read about the Founders’ character and personality. I like to learn about the men behind the deeds we learned about by reading their writings and letters. This is my second book on Washington in the last year. It focuses on how he was as a young man, before his military exploits and public offices.
Audiobooks: (for personal development)
I am again listening to Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life. To me, this was an enlightening book that sheds light on the motivations behind the actions and words of others and ourselves. Not all of it was pleasant to read introspectively, but informational nonetheless. To fix the problems, you have to know the problems.
I am also listening a second time to Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In some aspects, this is similar to Peterson’s book, but the focus is on teams and leadership. Both of these were important enough to merit a second listen since I cannot tab and refer back to them as I can a printed book.
I also plan to listen to Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken. A movie by the same title was released in 2014. It is about Louis Zamperini, a former Olympic athlete that survived his bomber’s crash in the Pacific in WWII and then endured capture and torture as a POW.
TV Shows:
Always looking for new sitcoms to watch that are wholesome, so send your lists!
Kim and I watch The Office from time to time for light humor. She converted me to a fan (somewhat), and in exchange, I get to watch NASCAR if and when I do not have other things going on. I don’t get to watch much NASCAR.
HGTV: I like to look at what they do to homes and dream that someday I might be able to as well.
Various cooking shows: This turned out to be another unexpected result of semi-retirement. I have the most flexible time,
so by default, I became the primary cook. I’ve always been able to cook meals and grill, but am now venturing into baking bread and an occasional cake.
If you have not already seen the online series The Chosen, please do! It is about the ministry of Jesus and His call to his apostles. It imagines the daily life and conversations of Jesus as he begins his ministry. Perhaps because I am a Christian, but the show is engaging, entertaining, and inspirational. I enjoy imagining the human side of Jesus, with humor between him and the apostles and their conversations as they try to figure out just who this man is the have chosen to follow. We binge watched it months ago, but will watch it again.
Movies:
Last week we saw Emma. A few weeks ago, we saw Little Women. In the last few years since falling in love with an English and literature teacher, I sure have seen a lot of movies about women in England a hundred or so years ago! I am almost ashamed to admit that I no longer mind them. They may not be the kind of movies I truly love, but they are the kind of films that are dear to the one I love.
We just watched A Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood with Tom Hanks playing Mr. Rogers. It is that kind of movie that renews your hope in humanity. If you wonder whether our society is lost and if you feel the world is pushing back on all that we believe is good, this is the movies for you. In this highly political and polarized time, we look at a man that transcended that to live his beliefs.
I believe that we must be intentional with what we fill our daily calendars. If you look at your schedule (not what you intend to do but what you do), it will reveal your actual priorities. Your schedule shows who you are, not who you want to be or hope to be. Let’s use this time of quarantine and social distancing to reflect on what is important and focus on being better individuals, couples, and families. Maybe when it is all over, and we begin to socialize and work again, we can be better together than we were before Coronavirus.
