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Together From a Distance...

I hope this finds all of you safe and not too scared due to current events

My mood varies based on how much news I watch. I promise you, I watch enough news to stay informed. But I try to find ways to calm myself in the midst of our shelter in place and hunker down lifestyle. But that said, it's important to not panic and find some calm within this storm.

What are the things that calm me?

  • My dog! Pet therapy is a real thing and it helps. My dog and I go on a long walk every day.
  • Enabling my OCD tendencies on my yard and landscaping. Yep, I'm one of those "yard of the month” guys and working outdoors is good for me. Yard work is one of the few things that give instant gratification after it's done.
  • Reading is huge for me. My main genres are action and adventure, spy thriller and especially aviation stuff. I can get lost in it and almost feel that I'm there with the characters in the book.
  • Mindless TV, binge-watching Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Other things that help me be calmer

  • Cooking and eating. It's hard not to overeat when confined. I'm really trying to eat eye-healthy things with my AMD.  I eat a lot of dark green leafy vegetables, salad and oily fish like salmon. Striving to avoid a lot of bread, sweets  and processed foods.
  • Writing is so beneficial for me. Joining MacularDegeneration.net as a team member and occasional contributor is cathartic and a wonderful new experience for me.

How did I get to become an advocate on MacularDegeneration.net?

Well, I have AMD (one eye wet, the other dry) and perused many sites and read numerous posts on our disease. I began to add my 2 cents to posts and participate in discussions. I ”friended” on Facebook some great people that happened to be advocates, both moderators and writers. One thing led to another, and I was asked to do a phone interview. I was then invited to try my hand at it on our wonderful site! I am thrilled to do it and it is gratifying for this old guy to give it my best shot.

Together from a distance

I kind of wish they would change the catchphrase from "social distancing” to "physical distancing.” We need our social interactions now more than ever. Since the caveman days, mankind has been a social animal, oriented as a group to ensure survival, connection, and belonging. We go from family groups to groups in school, work, and communities. Now is not the time to stop being social, it is the time to separate but only in the physical sense!

How can we stay together during these times?

We can FaceTime, Skype, text, or email family and friends. Never before have we been more connected, thanks to the internet and social networking platforms. What I see on MacularDegeneration.net is sharing, caring and help being dispensed in great measure. It's a beautiful thing to witness and participate in. I invite you to join us, be it reading, posting, asking a question, venting, whatever you need. You are not alone, we are here....together.

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This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The MacularDegeneration.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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