This child of the 70’s has finally grown up

I have always identified myself as a child of the 70’s

Those late teenage years bonding with rock music

Leaving home and going to university in the 70’s

Graduating and starting my career in the 70’s

Getting married and buying a house in the 70’s

I kept the 70’s spirit with me at all times as my life evolved

Setting ambitious goals and striving for perfection

Always reaching for higher than before

Continually learning new things and reinventing myself

Taking big but calculated risks

Recognizing opportunities and seizing them

Emigrating to a new country and learning a new language

Working hard and reaping the rewards

Designing and building a large dream home

Pushing myself to write something every day

But something has happened recently to change it all

I still love 70’s music and strive to have fun

But I am less focussed on material possessions

My priorities in life have all been reevaluated 

Making a conscious effort to slow down and smell the roses

Downsizing to a smaller but comfortable home

Spending more time with family and loved ones

Riding my bike for pure fun rather than breaking my speed and distance records

Leaning more towards experiences and less towards acquiring stuff

Taking longer vacations and relaxing cruises

Only writing when I have something meaningful to say

No longer saying yes to everything

Recognizing that time is a precious resource

Letting go of my perfectionism

Not worrying if things on the todo list are made to wait

Decluttering my possessions and decluttering my mind

No longer rushing through daily activities

Having a leisurely breakfast and savoring every morsel

Taking more time to marvel at sunsets and the nocturnal stars

Finding inner peace through forgiveness

This child of the 70’s has grown into a child in his 70’s

You don’t know what you’ve got till its gone

That song is stuck in my head right now

As I lay in bed on day three of having Covid symptoms

Yes I am fully vaccinated and boosted but I still got a breakthrough infection, presumably Omicron

So here are some of the things that are gone from my life right now

Fresh air… I am confined to the bedroom in a condo with no balcony access due to external renovation

People… my darling wife is caring for me but she has to stay in the spare room while I am infectious

Exercise…..I don’t have the energy to do anything right now, my bike is looking at me like a sad puppy

Good health….I am not expecting to die from this Covid infection, however, flu like symptoms are no fun to endure for three days (or more?)

Clarity….my brain is foggy and I get tired just thinking

Freedom…I am not a prisoner but I am confined to barracks for a while

I could list many more things that I miss right now but I wanted to reflect on some positives

I have had time alone to check in with myself

I made some commitments to change things about myself that need fixing, things I have been putting off for too long

I plan to reach out to some friends who I have not been in touch with for too long

The next time its safe to actually see friends, they are going to get extra strong hugs

Time for me to rest now, be safe out there all you cheeky monkeys

You don’t know what you’ve got till its gone…….

Remember that line please