I thought at the outset of the lockdown here would be a whole series of home tasks that I would finally have time to get on with. But it’s not happening. I think that’s because shortage of time was not always the real reason – I simply didn’t want to do the tasks. Now I have a bit more time, I still don’t want to do them!
But unlike some, I have not found that the lockdown has given me much spare time. So even if I wanted to read War and Peace or listen to Wagner’s Ring, I wouldn’t have time.
I already spent a lot of time on the computer, dealing with emails and all the matters arising. There has been a noticeable increase in traffic, presumably because everyone else is stuck at home, giving more time for reflecting on things, not just on coronavirus but on other issues. Also calls to and from friends and family who somehow I never get round to in normal times. The old-fashioned phone seems to have been re-discovered.
Not being able to see friends and family members, especially son and grandson, is the hardest. Sobering thought that I might actually never see them again except on a small screen. But the more rational half of me says that my chance of dying from coronavirus is actually very small – smaller than the chance of somebody of my age dying from something else this year.
As for others, being cooped up at home is tiresome, to say the least. But I’m luckier than many, with a reasonably spacious house and a garden. It’s been great to be able to sit out and enjoy the garden, not have it ruined by planes roaring overhead.
I’m also fortunate in having large open spaces just minutes from the house. Being outdoors, especially in spring, is one of life’s great joys. And green open spaces have been shown to have physical and mental health benefits. Thank goodness the government has not banned us from going to literally live-saving parks and open spaces.
