It's blinding how fast things can change.
It's remarkable how quickly you can adapt to that change
Our family are in the tenth day of self isolation due to the Husband developing symptoms of corona virus, just as the schools closed. Overnight I became the sole parent to our nine year old as she was tipped into the wormhole of homeschooling and not being allowed to leave the house for two weeks apart from daily exercise, far away from others.
I also became the sole carer for an adult who could do nothing apart from lock himself away to avoid infecting us. Our correspondence has been carried out via text messages and my knocking on his closed door to alert him of the meals I have left outside.
Ten days have felt like three weeks but what I have noticed is that being in this domestic situation is like having an newborn baby. I disinfect the house avidly for fear of corona germs. I cook, serve, clean, cook, serve, clean; ad infinitum. My hands resemble claws, so much have I washed them.
The patchwork nature of my days going from chore to chore to chore means I have found myself unable to think in an linear or in depth fashion,. Instead I have snatched thought syndrome; something I remember from the newborn days.
In this new world order, I have observed the following things over the past few days:
But there is no time to think anymore. Things to get on with. People to see (on Zoom).
It's remarkable how quickly you can adapt to that change
Our family are in the tenth day of self isolation due to the Husband developing symptoms of corona virus, just as the schools closed. Overnight I became the sole parent to our nine year old as she was tipped into the wormhole of homeschooling and not being allowed to leave the house for two weeks apart from daily exercise, far away from others.
I also became the sole carer for an adult who could do nothing apart from lock himself away to avoid infecting us. Our correspondence has been carried out via text messages and my knocking on his closed door to alert him of the meals I have left outside.
Ten days have felt like three weeks but what I have noticed is that being in this domestic situation is like having an newborn baby. I disinfect the house avidly for fear of corona germs. I cook, serve, clean, cook, serve, clean; ad infinitum. My hands resemble claws, so much have I washed them.
The patchwork nature of my days going from chore to chore to chore means I have found myself unable to think in an linear or in depth fashion,. Instead I have snatched thought syndrome; something I remember from the newborn days.
In this new world order, I have observed the following things over the past few days:
- Freedom is a state of mind. But it helps if you can feel daylight on your skin and outside air on your face, even if for only a few minutes a day.
- I am not the technophobe I thought I was. It turns out that when technology is needed, I am a fast adapter. Zoom is the current raison d'etre of online connection and I became a Zoomer in seconds.
- I've always thought that it is important to know how how to be alone. And to be comfortable being alone. This helps at times like these.
- I am innately, a frugal person.Turns out I was listening to Mum all those years ago.
- But it turns out, there is a LOT less that I can live without.
- The morning sun in our back garden is glorious.
- Nature becomes everything during solitude
- My dreams are very, very vivid. It's as if I am living my real life while sleeping and on waking, return to a dystopian Groundhog Day.
- Structure is important. There is no freedom with structure. I can't remember who said that but I have always agreed.
- I'm not sure in the months to follow what I will miss more - free movement through the world or physical contact with others. We'll see.
- Seeing a plane flying overhead right now is a marvel, like seeing the articulation of possibility made into a machine.
- The view from the rooftop outside my loft window at sunset remains untarnished
- I'm enjoying street noise because it has become rare.
- Being a writer is perfect for travelling anywhere and everywhere,when you can't.
- People can be pretty damn marvellous. Or not.
But there is no time to think anymore. Things to get on with. People to see (on Zoom).
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