DAY 1 - Thursday 19th March 2020
And so it begins. I'm in the UK's Thames Valley and things are not too bad here yet, but it's clear from what's happening in other places that are further along the curve that we are only at the beginning of the beginning. Our government has not, so far, placed many restrictions on us which, in my view, is a mistake. I know we're a liberal democracy but there are some things that need decisive, draconian action and a pandemic is one of them. I have an underlying respiratory problem - the legacy of pneumonia - and can't afford to take any chances and a few days ago our PM recommended 12 weeks of isolation for those classed as vulnerable, so we've been gearing up to do just that. Only one problem - our son is still at university 70 miles away. Lectures have gone online for the rest of the academic year, so today we made the drive to pick him up. He was reluctant to clear his entire flat in halls, hoping I think that it would all be over before the summer and he could return to the student life he so obviously loves. But he made the decision to come home, and for that we're thankful.
Tonight I went to my yoga class for the last time for who knows how long. Six of us in a big hall with plenty of social distancing, and I used my own mat. It was a lovely class, but we were all very subdued at the end with none of the usual chatter that occurs while we're layering up and putting our mats away. I dropped my friend off with an awkward elbow bump and we wished each other well. She can work from home but her husband works at a school and will be required to help keep it open for the children of keyworkers and those who are vulnerable. Sad to say they represent an infection risk for me, so we'll have to stay in touch without meeting until the crisis is over.
When I got home, my son's belongings were still strewn across the hall but he had set up his PC in the space we'd cleared for him and was animatedly playing an online game with friends. Fortunately our young people are well used to conducting a large proportion of their social life online so they are probably better adjusted than we are to solitude. He has returned with what appears to be nothing more than a conventional cold, but after a welcome home hug I'll be keeping my distance from him too; we're lucky to have enough space to spread ourselves out.
I've decided that I will try to find something to be grateful for each day, and today is easy: I am grateful to have my son home.
Tonight I went to my yoga class for the last time for who knows how long. Six of us in a big hall with plenty of social distancing, and I used my own mat. It was a lovely class, but we were all very subdued at the end with none of the usual chatter that occurs while we're layering up and putting our mats away. I dropped my friend off with an awkward elbow bump and we wished each other well. She can work from home but her husband works at a school and will be required to help keep it open for the children of keyworkers and those who are vulnerable. Sad to say they represent an infection risk for me, so we'll have to stay in touch without meeting until the crisis is over.
When I got home, my son's belongings were still strewn across the hall but he had set up his PC in the space we'd cleared for him and was animatedly playing an online game with friends. Fortunately our young people are well used to conducting a large proportion of their social life online so they are probably better adjusted than we are to solitude. He has returned with what appears to be nothing more than a conventional cold, but after a welcome home hug I'll be keeping my distance from him too; we're lucky to have enough space to spread ourselves out.
I've decided that I will try to find something to be grateful for each day, and today is easy: I am grateful to have my son home.
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