2 May 2020
Things that it feels important to remember:
- Travel, or even planning holidays and adventures, feels impossible, but also essential.
- Eating in restaurants and going to the pub feels like a distant - equally impossible - dream.
- Seeing films or tv programmes featuring people hanging out in close proximity is anxiety inducing.
- Going to the supermarket is a once a week expedition, fraught with anxiety. I often have a psychosomatic sore throat for several hours afterwards, so do lots of my friends.
- So. Many. Zoom. Calls!
- To minimise shopping trips, many, many people (including me) are making sourdough bread. Because yeast is almost impossible to buy. Flour is scarce too, but yeast is gold dust ...
- Walking outside becomes a strategic game of dogems, trying to anticipate the movements of the (usually, thankfully, few) other pedestrians and zigzagging across streets to avoid each other. My friend was walking her children home from the park and another pedestrian essentially immersed himself face first in a bush to avoid them.
- Waiting and saying thank you before turning corners, crossing paths, leaving your gate... to give others time to clear the path.
- Rainbow posters in windows (but not ours because that would involve Titch painting so was a hard 'No').
- Missing hugs with friends and family so much more than I ever anticipated.
- Missing casual interactions with colleagues, acquaintances and strangers almost as much.
- Noticing birdsong (fewer cars, less ambient noise generally as everyone is at home).
- Even as someone who spends most of their time at home, noticing - and becoming frustrated with - the imperfections around the house (cleanliness/tidiness, decor…).
- DIY dog grooming. And hair cuts.
- Kids need to hang out with other kids. They miss their friends, they miss working together even if side by side rather than collaboratively, they miss sport and general - often unspeaking - proximity.
- Casual interaction with humans you don’t live with is really important.
- Gardens are treasure.
- Health is the ultimate treasure.
- Try not to put stuff off: going to the pub, seeing the exhibitions, popping to the shop to check that thing out, catching up with friends…