The new normal, week 6 of lockdown

So, we are now entering week 6 of lockdown, it is a strange time for us all, it is bring out the best and worst in people.  For me the first few weekends were the hardest, the weekends are when we are naturally more sociable so whereas I can cope with being on my own on weeknights the weekends are much harder and as each week passes, the blurring between work days and non-working days has increased. 

On a positive note it has increased charity, people are doing more for each other, people are filling the gaps and cracks that years of austerity have increased.  People are noticing how hard people in health and social care work and hopefully they will not forget this when it comes to voting. It is very hard to applaud for the NHS then vote for the people who would savage it and sell the profitable bits off to vultures like Richard Branson (who then comes cap in hand asking for a bailout).  Of the negatives, the nimbyism has annoyed me, yes some people are going to the park and sitting down, leave this to the police but the sniping on Facebook etc about it, and the calling of the police is a waste of time. When people live in a city, with a population density of 4542 people per square kilometre, mostly in flats, they need to get outside, see the sky, breath fresh air etc, the sniping has mainly come from people who have gardens and live near these parks.  My advice is get something else to worry about and stop worrying about people you don’t' know, doing something you don't approve of. Another negative has been the unfriending on Facebook, I have lost 3 in a week, mainly due to people not approving of me coming to my parents to spend the lockdown with them. This was a journey I agonised over, I spoke to my HR department, my boss and many friends, and all of them advised I go, maintain the social distancing as I did it (I wore a mask and didn't go less than 2m near any stranger). My decision seems to have annoyed a few people who I thought knew me better.  I am far too strait-laced to break rules on most occasions and the lockdown rules are guidelines not laws. I came home, incident free and have spent time with my family and that has been worth far more than the bitterness and criticism I received on Facebook, and my left wing politics aren't to everyone's taste! :) Oh well. 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2020/apr/26/ben-jennings-on-tories-pressuring-boris-johnson-to-lift-lockdown-cartoon

I don't know about anyone else but this lockdown is having 2 or more positive impacts on me, I am saving money as I am not commuting, not buying my 2 expensive coffees per day, my daily lunch at the local shopping centre etc and I am exercising more and not the mirror gazing, low impact posing at the gym kind of exercise, I mean running, jogging and cycling. I have averaged 6km per day this past week on the bike, the most being 15km and it is great, it is invigorating. I hope to do less gym and more of this when things go back to normal or semi normal if that ever happens.

Some of the sights around my home town, Washington, Tyne & Wear, during my bike rides etc. 

One of the saddest things for me personally was he cancellation of the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest; normally I host a party or have attended one almost every year since 1994.  This year I cannot but luckily each Saturday on YouTube the past contests are being broadcast at 8pm and people can interact on Twitter etc. it is fun, tacky fun.

Back to work tomorrow starting with my 9am conference call that I do from the back garden with a chorus of birds who flock to my parent's garden every morning.

April 26th, 2020