Friday 5 February 2021

Orwellian

You find me on this Friday morning clinging desperately to a gossamer thin strand of hope that brings with it a gradual easing of lockdown - if not before the first cuckoo then hopefully the second. Or maybe the third...

Whilst many, I'm sure, see this enforced incarceration and privation as nothing more than a violent tilt of life's pinball machine, some will, I hope, see it as a chance to start over. Wipe the slate; reset the controls; make peace with their fellow man; whatever.

However we pick up the pieces of our old lives and begin to navigate the new uncharted landscape, I hope we all try and do it a little more peacefully than last time; a little bit quieter than last time; and also with a degree of humility. We don't own this world, we're just keeping the seats warm before the next lot come in.

And when the shackles are finally removed I know everyone will be planning holidays, visiting family and friends we haven't seen for months and generally making up for lost time. Just writing this is triggering all sorts of flash forwards. And, like you, I'm already making a random list in my head of places to go, people to meet. More on that to come, I'm sure. But where will I go first? That's easy. I'll see you in The Moon Under Water, where it's always quiet enough to talk. Can I buy you a drink?

In the meantime, keep staying safe.

8 comments:

  1. Oh yes, let's meet at The Moon Under Water, what a treat - I'll have that cheese and pickle and buy some stamps while I'm there. Sounds perfect.
    Indeed, we do need a re-set, and I hope this feeling will be shared by a majority... must try hard to keep negativity at bay. Meanwhile my plans to go out will be simple but oh so important, nothing flash, just a trip to Tate Modern, and a day out plus pizza with my old schoolfriends, and a walk round city backstreets with my sister and cousin, morning coffee with my "surrogate dad" (!) and maybe an outdoor gig or two, that'll do.... plus, who knows, a trip to Edinburgh?!
    Stay safe too.

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    1. See you in the snug. And if you get there before me shout up another cheese and pickle!

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  2. As the anticipated V-shaped bounce back didn't happen in the end, and this enforced incarceration has gone on a lot longer than we at first thought, I think I'm going to take a while to get back into the swing of things again. Also as you say, we need to do so with a degree of humility, knowing what we now know. In terms of baby steps, an afternoon in The Moon Under Water sounds just about perfect hoewever. Cross fingers it'll be sooner rather than later.

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    1. You've hit the N on the H, Alyson. The Moon Under Water is definitely an afternoon pub. I love afternoon pubs.

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  3. My parents (in their late 70s) are scheduled to receive their vaccine, here in Canada, sometimes in April. I'll be glad to see July to get mine though! We've had various ups and downs in terms of restrictions, and now they're recommending wearing two masks, but mostly wanting to be able to go south into the friendly neighbouring U.S. states. I'm afraid back to normal will have a permanent -ish at the end of normal at best however.

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    1. It's a waiting game now. My dad was 'done' a couple of weeks ago, I think my cohort will likely be April/May; but with this bunch of charlatans in charge who knows? Stay safe.

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