Well, that escalated quickly. These are strange times we're living in and no mistake. Only a few LONG weeks ago "social distancing" and "self-isolation" were alien concepts, yet now they find their way into every other sentence, into our daily lives. I have no wise words or philosophical support to offer at a time when the answers we are all craving are in short supply, along with toilet roll and hand soap.
Last night in the UK just before 8 pm I was reminded that there was to be a moment of national support for the people working on the frontline of the NHS, battling this bastard of a virus. I ventured to the front door with my family determined to make this meagre declaration but also slightly concerned that we would be stood there on the doorstep clapping loudly as the neighbours continued to binge Netflix, or peer at us from between the curtains as if we were all mad.
We took our places on the doorstep and looked around at the dark, empty street and prepared to show our appreciation knowing full well it was a tiny gesture of gratitude. As the clock struck 8 a sound erupted from every direction that genuinely took my breath away. From near and far the sound of people at windows and doorways all across London, clapping, cheering, whooping and whistling, making every conceivable noise a person can produce. The noise washed across streets and houses, undulating, swelling in volume as more people joined the call, encouraged by the sound of others nearby.
At a time when most of us are locked away at home, doing the only thing we can to help stem the spread of a pandemic threatening to take away our loved ones it is easy to forget that there are other people going through the same experiences and struggling with the same reality. This moment of solidarity was a powerful reminder that our world extends further than the front door or the end of the garden (if you are lucky enough to have one).
If I were to guess (and I really shouldn’t) most people like myself are trying to crack on with what work they have, to look after their families, to distract themselves and find routine in these turbulent times and do their very, very best not to think about the bigger imponderable threat this virus poses. It’s too big, too unwieldy, too abstract to manage in one go so we attempt to break it down into more manageable chunks; the effect on our health, our livelihood, our friends and family. I consider myself to have a traditionally British stiff upper lip, (it’s been passed down in my family for generations) and yet last night listening to all those people collectively shouting and applauding from their isolation was as moving a moment as I have experienced.
On a separate note I might add that for all the words of comfort and support that can be found on the internet from across the world offering stories of positivity and optimism there is one thing I could certainly do with less of, actually, I could do with a complete end to… And that is Celebrities posting videos of themselves in self-isolation bemoaning the monotony of their existence from their giant jacuzzi or a living room so big it resembles an Ikea showroom!
To all the Celebrities and (shakes head and sighs)... “Influencers” out there live streaming your captivity to the world, consider this: During this scary time if you find yourself thinking, wow this whole pandemic thing really is a head-scratcher, I think the best thing I can do right now is to brag about the square footage of my oceanside mansion then stop. Just stop. It's not helpful. It’s gross. You are an arse, a total arse.
I’m glad I got that out of my system.
As for these blog posts, I will continue to add content as usual, if nothing else because it helps to keep me sane. I have some exciting ideas in the pipeline including “10 museums you can’t visit because they’re on lockdown” and “Is the Tower of London value for money? It's closed, stay home and wash your hands!”
I am not a Nurse, Doctor or a keyworker, I appear to have no discernible skills to help in this crisis other than staying away from other people, and I was doing that long before it was government-mandated. Thanks to all of you for the work you do in such an unspeakably difficult situation. Thank you.
And now if you don’t mind, I’ll go back to working on my screenplay from the comfort of my novelty shaped swimming pool.
Until next time...
Comments