Mobility

If there is one thing the lockdown has made me realised, it is the importance of movement as an integral aspect of our day-to-day living. It is the short walk to the bus stop, to the office, the commute to meeting a friend or to that special place, the meeting of that food craving, the running of errands without worrying a single thing about irresponsible crowds. Now that a lot of these movements are no longer needed or have been much reduced, it is easy to fall into a slump. For awhile now, it has been incredibly tempting to remain in my chair, and to muster every once of my energy to journey towards the sofa, or worst the bed at 7pm after signing off from work. Life happens within these four walls and under this roof more than it does anywhere else in the world. Even though we have accomplished so much at home, yet it still feels like we're stuck. Sometimes, it feels like I'm living in a long block of time with no beginning nor end. The markers of time indeed are my body clock, the rising and the setting of the sun. During winter, it is so easy to not budge at all, even if I need to go for a grocery run.

I'm learning to slowly introduce bits of activity into my time which involved walking - whether it is my 10-minute morning exercise, or an hour of walk in the afternoon just before dusk. The inertia to sustain those routine is hella strong, but I need to be strong too. It is unnatural to not move. But it is through these little things that makes me feel like I'm somewhat progressing through my days and weeks. It makes me wonder if progress has to do with physical movements too, though I have written previously about growth happening in stillness and not associating quietude and stillness with inactivity and stagnancy. In this context in particular, I need to feel like I'm moving, to feel something. It reminds me of a hamster running on her wheel. To us she's not really moving, but she still feels like she is working and heading somewhere. And perhaps, that's all that really matters.