As we slowly ease out of lockdown I wonder how in months and years to come, this pandemic will be remembered. Perhaps, for panic buying of toilet rolls, pasta and hand gel, or the quiet, eerie roads void of traffic, until the boy racers discovered them, or ghostly town centre with locked and shuttered shops and the end to social gatherings as we knew them.
New words entered our vocabulary: furloughed and shielding. Perhaps your abiding memory will be of staying at home, unable to see family and friends and depending on others to deliver essential shopping to your doorstep. And watching the daily increase in Covid19 deaths and looking in horror at the strain on faces of front line health workers and the tragedy of care home victims. Perhaps home schooling your children was a strain, and you wondered why on earth anyone would want to be a teacher.
Cancelled holidays and weddings caused heartache as did funerals with its restrictions and lockdown regulations. Whatever memories remain after this lockdown there were positive sides to it. People with little knowledge of technology gradually got to grips with face chat, skype and zoom. Neighbours who seldom spoke to each other became over-the-fence-best-friends.
Social distancing became the norm as did wearing of masks. Communities came together, neighbour assisting neighbour and coming out to the street together to clap for our NHS. With less pollution, skies were clearer, nature blossomed, birdsong that would normally be drowned out by traffic, became a joy to hear. People discovered country walks, cycling became popular. Unfortunately, the amount of fly tipping cluttering up the countryside became an eyesore caused by the misguided decision to close recycling centre.
Books increased in popularity as were downloads and homemade videos as people found ways to exercise. YouTube viewing increased as did online book clubs. More people learned to bake, flour was hard to come by as baking became popular.
Home deliveries from supermarkets and takeaway establishments were popular and essential to some people. We learned to use contactless. Online church services were the norm. Daily updates on Covid19 keep everyone informed and reminded us of the essentials to keep safe.
There were unsung heroes too, people who helped out without any thought of reward or recognition. We bonded as a nation, as a town, village, city and as we slowly emerge into the new normal, let’s hold on to the positive things that have come out of all this and remain cautious