This week the tabloids have been full of Dominic Cummings and his supposed exemption from the lockdown rules. I’m sure plenty of you in the UK have been following the government antics, and what riles me the most is the fact that Boris Johnson is backing Cummings’ behaviour. I feel like this is going to only send the message that the masses no longer need to follow the guidelines either. When there are so many people struggling every day it seems like a real kick in the teeth from our PM.
Day 57 - 63 (Week 9)
The last 7 days have pretty much been a rinse and repeat of the 7 before it, but with a lot more sunshine! Unfortunately though, this doesn’t make for very interesting writing for me, and definitely not reading for you. With this in mind I’ll try to keep it short and sweet this week.
The weather this week has been comparable only to summers of your memories. I was blessed as a child, living in Cornwall only a stones throw from the beach. Summers were spent heading down onto the sands straight from school with family friends, carrying shopping bags full of picnic dinners. Returning home when it began to hit dusk, followed by warm showers on tingling skin, fresh pyjamas and being tucked up in bed with that blissful ‘outdoors’ tired feeling. Then in my teenage years, summers were spent on sun lounger holidays. A whole week to just ‘flop and drop’, a suitcase more full with paperbacks than clothes.
That is what this week has been like. Closing my eyes in the heat of the sun I could imagine I could hear the waves or being back at the poolside again. Long days of pure unadulterated relaxation, heading inside late into the evening for those same hot showers and feelings of pleasant weariness.
In isolation, it becomes more apparent every day that we must be grateful for what we do have, over what we should or could have under normal circumstances. Today, as I sit here writing about an uneventful week, I am thankful. Thankful for the evocation of summers past, the time now to reflect and that my family and friends are all well and safe.
When I started this piece, it was somewhat of an experiment. I wanted to see whether having an introverted personality would aid or hinder my lockdown experience. It was a distinct possibility that it could have a negative effect. As I live with my mum I pondered whether the close proximity to her over a long period of time would cause me agitation. It was also highly probable that I would think I was sailing along perfectly happily, but that actually I would become even more insular.
Nine weeks in, I can say I’ve swung both ways. There have been days where I am frustrated, but there have also been days where I haven’t felt the need to leave the house. Whether any of those can be attested to my introverted nature, I don’t know. But I have found the best way to cope in isolation is to wake up and see which way I’m swinging that day. Oh…and buying lots of books too!
References:
Book Reviews:
The Ringmaster’s Daughter by Carly Schabowski
The Cornish Cream Tea Summer (The Cornish Cream Tea #2) by Cressida McLaughlin
Current Read - Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan
TV:
Killing Eve S03
Movies (Hallmark Channel):
All of My Heart Trilogy
Harvest Love
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