The start of British Summer Time when clocks go forward an hour. There’s been sun, rain, sleet, light hail. I made the mistake this morning of spending too much time looking at the news and my Twitter feeds. I have two Twitter accounts and switch between them. A much needed nap took a couple of hours.
I did get out for a walk. I left my flat. My recycling to go into the recycling bin I left on my internal stairs so I wouldn’t have to put on my shoes, take the recycling out, come back in, take my shoes off, wash my hands, put on my shoes before going out again. I no longer wear my shoes in the flat.
I chatted to a neighbour. Another one who’s self-employed.
I walked up the road. I’m walking on roads a lot, rather than footpaths. There are people out with kids, couples, elderly folk and people with mobility issues. Many of the footpaths are less than two metres wide. It’s easy for me to hop onto the road to give them space. There’s not much traffic. The government has clarified that our one trip out daily for exercise should be from our front door.
Passing the library, I passed some other neighbours, out with their sons. We chatted. Me walking on the road to give us all some space.
Today I didn’t go into the park. Looking in through the gates, there were lots of kids on bikes, too many people for me to be comfortable. The weather was grim this morning which meant many of us left it to this afternoon.
And I realised what I’m really missing and it’s more than just the noise of London. I’m missing the rhythm of everday life. I’m missing popping into my local shops and supermarkets just to get a bread roll for lunch or a pint of milk or a bag of spinach. I’m limiting my trips to get essentials to about twice a week.
I’m missing the random, innocuous, meaningless chat of the everyday. Perhaps it’s because I live alone.
And I chat. I chat to folks who work in the shops and the supermarkets and the library. I miss asking one chap in a local shop how his kids are. Another about his training for various 50k and 100k walks that he does for charity. A woman I chat to about her grandkids. Another I ask about her hayfever…we both suffer badly. The guy I ask how is wrestling training is going. He’s by no means a big guy, and does the sort of wrestling where you get to perform in costume. A woman I ask about her uni work. Another women I ask about a catering business who always greets me with a glorious smile no matter her mood. A woman who I chat to who works in my local library.
I also miss getting on the bus and nodding my head to the driver as I tap my Oyster card. I also nod on the way out, sometimes catching the eye of the driver in his or her mirror as a silent thank you.
These are all things I have to get used to.
But I’m lucky. Living alone, being single, means if I do get sick, if I do get catch this bloody virus, I don’t have to live with the fear of infecting someone else close to me. I can self-isolate fully. I can pay my rent. I can afford to buy food. I’m used to working at home.
So after these musings I came home. Took the recycling out before coming upstairs. Washed my hands. I came back to the news that the restrictions could last for months, not just a couple of weeks. This comes as no surprise.
So that’s it for Day 6. Stay safe, stay well, and stay home!