mo·not·o·ny /məˈnätnē/

I have been trying my best to articulate my current condition to people who ask me, “How are you doing?” It’s not been an easy task. I seem to have a glossary of words to describe a plethora of conditions and emotions. Yet, yesterday, a word slipped out of that glossary in my mind, made it to my mouth, and out it came, 

MONOTONY!

 

It was a surprise to my ears to hear this word I rarely use. I can’t remember the last time I heard it breaching my lips or the lips of others. But yesterday, it burst forth from me with confident exuberance, 

MONOTONY!

 

The reality is that this unprecedented time has bludgeoned any and all forms of variety into a stasis. My creative spirit which keeps trying to give me a nudge, a spark, a moment of hopeful discovery is left finding my spirit uninterested. I wonder each day if the creative joy will return, will arise, will crawl out of the grave of despondency and spread its wings again.

 

Life and work were not meant to be attempted between the bedroom and the home office with no human connection. Technology has zoomed to champion and make-up for this deficiency of association, but the glowing screens lack the senses that relationships demand - only offering, yet again, another box to be put into and creating a museum of interactive busts willfully muting and often vanishing – leaving me to wish I had that superpower in real life.

 

And isn’t that the problem…what is real life anymore? Reality has become a cycle of repetition and routine, 

 

MONOTONY! 

 

Spontaneity seems to have packed its bags and went on the road trip I needed without inviting me...Come back! My bags are packed and at the curb. Pick me up and take me away from this 

 

MONOTONY!

 

 

By Bob Henry