12/07/2021
New Post!!! What does the future hold?
Hey stranger, fancy seeing you here, it’s been a while huh? How has life been treating you… I guess it’s been a bit crazy for all of us lately hasn’t it, what with the virus and everything that goes with it. However, it does seem like there is some light at the end of this tunnel but I fear that light may not be all that it seems. I’m posting this here as a reminder of what we have been through over the last year of so.
In seven days, England will be free from all current restrictions, (Wales, Scotland and N. Ireland have their own rules), but even now, with a week left, the numbers are rising again. People are still getting sick, there are new admissions to hospitals and people are still dying because of Covid-19. I understand the need for us to get back to normal and get businesses up and running again, get the people back to offices, shops and anywhere else they haven’t been allowed to work for over twelve months but is it the right time? Yes, a lot of the population have had both doses of the vaccine and have been following the ‘social distancing’ and mask rules but there is a portion of the English who are refusing to take the vaccine, some do have legitimate concerns if they have had issues with vaccines before but there are people who would rather listen to conspiracy theorists and watch YouTube videos spreading misinformation that the real scientists and medical experts who actually know what they are talking about. I’m not hating on anyone, purely voicing my own opinion.
Opposing views aside, the last sixteen months has been a rollercoaster. Lockdown actually started pretty well for me, I got to know my neighbour properly, they had lived next door for over 12 months and even though we had said ‘hello’ in passing we had never really spent any time just chatting. Being at home and the summer starting early last year we spent a lot of time outside chatting over the fence and we have become good friends.
My emotions were pretty mixed at the start of lockdown as I prefer to have a regular routine, now that had been put on pause indefinately, all my medical appointments had been postponed until the staff were allowed back to their usual departments. Non-medical appoinments and meetings were cancelled until things eased up a bit. I went a little off the rails occasionally as I don’t handle change well but with the help of my nephew keeping it real and my new friendships, I was able to get through the rough days without too much anxiety… and in reality, the ‘not going out’ thing wasn’t too much of a change as it is a HUGE anxiety trigger for me.
July fourth was my birthday and it was also the day our Primeminister said that non-essential businesses could re-open, these being hairdressers and pubs. In a normal year I would go to get my hair done just before my birthday but last year I doubted I would have got an appointment on the day so I did a home colour the day before. I hadn’t made any plans with friends to go out, so I stayed home alone, nephew was working and due to health issues my sister and I decided that they wouldn’t come and visit, keep us all safe. I had a meal delivered, a couple glasses of gin and watched the Hamilton film on Disney+… it was a pretty good night actually. Had times had been normal I would probably have gone to my friends and we may have gone out for a meal or for a drink, obviously that couldn’t happen or at least that’s what we thought. Announcing the fourth as re-opening day, meant that neither my friend or myself were brave enough to go to a pub, even a local one. Our lack of courage was justified the following day when I saw footage from other areas about fights breaking out and people damaging property either because they couldn’t get in to a pub or they had drunk one too many, either way, I was happy with my quiet celebration last year.
July was actually the point when my mental health actually began to improve due to the end of what I now see as a toxic friendship in my life. Guilty conscience and refusal to be seen as anything but perfect made someone choose to walk away from me. At first I was gutted, we’d been friends for a long time but after a little self-enlightenment, I realised they were displaying classic narcissistic traits and I was happy to be away from them. Of course I missed them and still do to a point but I am now the real me rather than who someone else wanted me to be.
The end of 2020 wasn’t too bad although my health issues have seemingly gotten worse but now the ball is rolling on finding out what is going on and the right treatment is hopefully in place.
After another lockdown in October, Christmas was in sight and we were promised plenty of time to visit family, but the number started climbing again and the virus mutated into stronger versions of itself so the three days (I think) we were originally promised was cut back to just one, Christmas Day, where you could visit family and friends, safe to say, Christmas wasn’t as good as it could have been. Full lockdown restriction were ut back in place at the start of January, so non-essential services were shut again and we were all stuck back at home, not so bad as the tempratures outside dropped very low. So staying at home, curled up under the blankets with the central heating on was the name of the game. I was actually beginning to enjoy being told not to go outside!
Earlier this year, the PM announced the ‘Four Steps to Freedom’ pathway…. restrictions being eased over a few months with the final step in June when everything would be back to ‘normal’…. the virus, on the other hand, had other plans. It came back with a fourth variant… the UK (or Delta) varient, this one much worse than the ones we were already dealing with. So with numbers in some areas once again rising, the final step to freedom was pushed back to July 19th… that is one week from the day I am writing this blog… will it happen? Boris Johnson says it will, he wants all restrictions to be lifted but the medical professionals and scientists are all saying it may be too soon… I guess we’ll see in a few weeks time. After several events with large crowds over the last month or so, (Euros2020 and Wimbledon to name just two), we should see a hefty spike in positive cases if there was going to be one.
On a personal level, knowing that ‘normality’ is to return next week, I am slightly anxious about it, again I don’t deal well with change but it is what it is and is going to happen whether I want it to or not. I still plan on wearing my masks in shops and on public transport and still keeping my distance from others, (mainly because… eww people!), but getting the country back to something like normality is a priority, hopefully we can start to work on people’s attitudes too now. Some people are just morons and don’t think outside of their own little bubble. Come on guys…. DO BETTER!!
So I guess that’s it, the last sixteen months of my life, all wrapped up with a neat little bow.
How about to tell me about your memories, good or bad, of the virus and how it affected you and your families. Pop then in the comment section.
Oh before I go, I want to make a note of congratulating the England football squad who made it to the first final of a major competion in fifty-five years, you did us proud boys whether you won or lost. Take that into next year’s World Cup… maybe we’ll take it a step further and win the whole thing… how cool would that be?
And for those idiots giving certain players crap on social media and making racist comments, get over yourselves, could you have made those penalties, I doubt it very much Du***ss!!
Anyway, I shall be off and save your eyes from any more of my crap. Hope you are all well and safe.
Until next time… L x
