Update From A Semi-Locked Down Country #6..!
It's a weird feeling, what is the point of a lockdown, if half the country is no longer participating..? I'm not on about the Black Lives Matter protests, which are of course, absolutely cracking and well overdue. If people spontaneously decide to push statues of slave traders into a harbour and it can reduce black people being murdered by the authorities charged with protecting them, I'm onboard supporting that.
I'm on about the fact that the 'United' Kingdow had decided to give up long before that, when gatherings of 5 suddenly became 20 in the car park behind our house, in a matter of days after the Dominic Cummings controversy. If the Government bosses were going to say: "'Do as I say' not 'Do as I Do', then fuck 'em!" seemed to be the attitude. Ignoring all the good thoughts about not overwhelming the NHS and not killing your friends' Grans seemed to be all forgotten in a haze of freedom, beer and sunny bank holiday weather.
Part of me thinks that you may as well open the pubs for a fortnight and when it becomes rampant again and the inevitable shutdown again happens, at least everyone can remember that joyous fortnight of socialising during 2020 they had. Get it out of their system and do better at Round 2 of the Lockdown Pandemic that would be in the offing.
Maybe it's because we've had another 2 gigs postponed today that I am feeling this way, who knows?
It's not as if we don't do any socialising as it is, we see both our respective families, are having a lunch a week with Stevo, Jen is round at least twice a week to use our washer and hang out (and this week get treated to the in-fighting of birds then the death of a Magpie!), there are plans for Zoom parties when the football and the Rugby League World Cup tickets dates are sorted, I've spoken to Ben and Danny on Houseparty and Toni has chatted with Dani - all in the last week! Plus WhatsApp and Facebook has been mental throughout and we both have regular meetings during work.
I think as Jen said when she was round, "It's just odd not being able to hug friends goodbye, isn't it?"
That loss of the physical wider World, it's a bigger bludgeon into my heart than I expected. I have so much more respect and empathy for those that live alone and are lonely, some of the worst case scenarios I imagine go weeks and months like this, barely seeing anyone - it must be horrible.
Hope you are all doing well, stay safe out there!
I'm on about the fact that the 'United' Kingdow had decided to give up long before that, when gatherings of 5 suddenly became 20 in the car park behind our house, in a matter of days after the Dominic Cummings controversy. If the Government bosses were going to say: "'Do as I say' not 'Do as I Do', then fuck 'em!" seemed to be the attitude. Ignoring all the good thoughts about not overwhelming the NHS and not killing your friends' Grans seemed to be all forgotten in a haze of freedom, beer and sunny bank holiday weather.
Part of me thinks that you may as well open the pubs for a fortnight and when it becomes rampant again and the inevitable shutdown again happens, at least everyone can remember that joyous fortnight of socialising during 2020 they had. Get it out of their system and do better at Round 2 of the Lockdown Pandemic that would be in the offing.
Maybe it's because we've had another 2 gigs postponed today that I am feeling this way, who knows?
It's not as if we don't do any socialising as it is, we see both our respective families, are having a lunch a week with Stevo, Jen is round at least twice a week to use our washer and hang out (and this week get treated to the in-fighting of birds then the death of a Magpie!), there are plans for Zoom parties when the football and the Rugby League World Cup tickets dates are sorted, I've spoken to Ben and Danny on Houseparty and Toni has chatted with Dani - all in the last week! Plus WhatsApp and Facebook has been mental throughout and we both have regular meetings during work.
I think as Jen said when she was round, "It's just odd not being able to hug friends goodbye, isn't it?"
That loss of the physical wider World, it's a bigger bludgeon into my heart than I expected. I have so much more respect and empathy for those that live alone and are lonely, some of the worst case scenarios I imagine go weeks and months like this, barely seeing anyone - it must be horrible.
Hope you are all doing well, stay safe out there!