Has it really been a year?
Has it really been a year since the first lockdown struck and we all retreated to our homes? I went back and read my first blog about coronavirus and see that I wrote it on 28th March 2020, so yes, a year ago almost exactly. How long ago it seems. This long slow year has chugged away and here we are now, with the vaccination roll out offering hope and the emergence of new variants reminding us that maybe, in some ways, coronavirus is here to stay and the world must adapt to it with annual vaccinations perhaps, as for flu. We shall see. I hear people talking about getting back to normal and I wonder what that will look like. Somehow I find it hard to believe that it will be exactly as life was before the pandemic hit.
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| A walk through the churchyard |
But there are lots of things to lift the spirits, chiefly from today that here in Wales we are allowed to travel anywhere in the country. By "country" I do mean Wales as the rest of the UK is still off limits for the moment. Pubs and cafes and restaurants remain closed except for takeaway food but self catering accommodation is reopening and we are taking advantage of the fact that we have a campervan to travel down next week to see that part of our family which lives in South Wales. We will have to see each other outside but we will have our home on our back so that should be fine. Our daughter tells us she has bought a fire pit and the weather forecast looks quite good for a couple of days next week. The journey down will take us four hours or so and it will be much the furthest we have travelled for months. I am pretty sure I will be excited. In fact when I start to think about it I am already excited by the very idea! We have learnt to live without excitement over the last year but it bubbles away under there if I let it!
And it looks as though travel into England will open up later in April which will allow us to see our sons and their families who we also have not seen for months. At the moment seeing family in all its combinations is the limit of my ambitions. Would I like to travel and socialise, go to theatres and concerts and engage with the world in all its richness and variety? Of course I would. But at the moment it is a small number of deeply loved people whose absence I feel, despite the zoom calls and the whatsapps and all the wonders of technology. This is especially true of the younger grandchildren who need games and stories and hugs and the blessing of shared time.
I think it is interesting how thoroughly we seem to have adapted to this strange local life. We exercise from home and live and shop locally and most of the time it feels ok. Little things become the focus of a good day: a successful run, a walk through the churchyard, a cup of coffee in a new mug. Like the frog in hot water, we have adjusted. Everyone we know seems stoical, complying with rules with a surprising amount of good cheer. I think part of the story we tell ourselves in this country is that this is a particularly "British" response to hard times but I doubt whether this is true. I think it is a human response and I expect that all over the world there are people getting on with it, doing their best.
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A cup of coffee in a new mug |
But oh I am ready for warmth and company, colour and sunlight and playing with children and long chats into the evening with people I love.
To be honest, I cannot wait for it all to be over. I'd like to say I've been stoical this year but in truth I haven't - I've only recently realised that for most of the time I've had a sort of subliminal anger at it all. Not in the way of the disrespectful anti-lockdown zealots or the anti-vaxers - far from that - but a sort of simmering resentment that its happened at all - and also the way I sense we are manipulated by nudge units and quasi propaganda. But you see I'm doing it again - ultimately it will pass and today is milestone. I do have to sop and pinch myself when I say that we are 'allowed' to travel - I hope I never have to say that again in years to come.... Today made it back to Pembrokeshire and my new build - pictures soon maybe...
ReplyDeleteI do understand the underlying anger too although that hasn't been my response. I think that anger would undermine my ability to cope but it may come later. And you got to Pembrokeshire! Our build has stalled at the moment while we wait for services to be connected. I'm trying to take the long view on that too!
DeleteI'm over my disgruntled blip now, and looking forward to little jaunts without the fear of being stopped by the police, although my husband managed to drive 250 miles east this week, and back again a few days later, without being stopped by police. It was for a medical appointment, and he had the proof, but it still made him wary.
ReplyDeleteA campervan sounds a very good thing at the moment (apparently prices have sky-rocketed). Enjoy yourselves.
I'm glad you are feeling less fed up! It's been a long haul hasn't it. I'm looking forward to being a bit further away from home from time to time, much though I love my own square mile!
DeleteSo pleased to hear you are now able to go further afield. Love seeing those spring flowers.
ReplyDeleteI always have to remind myself that you are going into autumn in New Zealand!
DeleteThe only time I've been stopped by the Police in the last year was when I had to go from Builth to Rhayader for a Covid test (I had a chest infection but they do belt and braces checks now). I just held my letter up to the window and they soon let me go! Will we go mad now we have freedom again? Probably not, but at least we can have a proper day out on my birthday next month and my daughter and I can plan some not-quite-so-local walks now. I bet you can't wait to see your family again.
ReplyDeleteA proper day out! That sounds wonderful! The only time any of our family have been stopped is when our son in law who is a teacher was stopped on his way back from school. We have just been home or walking for a very long time!
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