#LivingInLockdown
Day 33 & 34 – Friday/Saturday 17th/18th April
You may have noticed that I’ve sneakily written two days in one blog. It’s not cheating really (well maybe a little), more playing catch up. When I started this blog I was faithfully writing about the events of the previous day, so I was always writing a day behind. As the blog developed it has become more a platform for thoughts, ideas and events that occur throughout the week and I group them together according to what fits best rather than when they happened. So it seems silly to always be a day behind when sometimes I’m writing about today. Also when this quarantine ends there is no way I’m staying indoors to finish the final day’s blog. I’ll be up and out as fast as my feet can carry me. Besides if Spain can change the way they present their Covid-19 Statistics, which they have frustratingly done this week, then so can I.
In fact my plan for next week is one of change. It is time to shake things up a bit. Not 100% sure how but I’ll think of something. This is because I woke up today still in the doldrums. It’s not unexpected. At the beginning of this lockdown I spoke with a friend and said I thought the quarantine would last until at least the end of May, but I could see it getting tedious before the end of April. Here we are nearly at the end of week five and tedium has definitely set in.
I can feel a big ball of rebellion welling up inside of me. Not because I don’t agree with the government’s actions. I still understand the need for this quarantine, especially for the sanity of our health workers, and I will continue to support it. No, the problem is that after 5 weeks this aberration is becoming my new normal. They say that it takes about four weeks of concerted effort to change a habit. Well we have done that and established a new lifestyle under lockdown. Here’s the thing though, I don’t like this lifestyle and I don’t want it to become my new normal, hence the rebellion.
Let’s be honest life under lockdown is monotonous. Day after day of unending work, cleaning, cooking and exercise. Alright, I admit they were all part of my life before lockdown but not so repetitive. Work was made more interesting by outside meetings; cooking was relieved by eating out; cleaning was less onerous as I wasn’t indoors as much; exercise was more natural rather than forced; and life in general was enlivened by trips out and holidays. In fact the only part of my life that has improved is social contact with friends and family. However even that, as amazing as the video conference options are, is not the same as meeting face to face.
So I will not accept this new life, even as I accept its necessity. That’s why next week we’re going to mix things up a bit. I can deal with a lot of crap in my life, but not monotony. I’m off now to try and watch the Lady Gaga One World: At Home Together concert.