Lockdown

Living In Lockdown

We, as a Nation are currently living in lockdown. The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has urged us all to stay indoors for the foreseeable future.

Our future is no longer certain and I suppose is dependent on our immune systems too (if we catch this virus).

Deadly Virus

Covid-19 (or Coronavirus as we know it) has taken the world by storm since December 2019. The news broadcasted that someone had contracted the disease in China, by eating Bat soup. It has since killed 10,000’s of people across the globe.

Coronavirus Covid-19

Since March 2020 our lives, as we know it, have been turned upside down. We are in lockdown. Ordered by the Government to self-isolate and practice social distancing when venturing out for our 1-hour (allowed) exercise or ‘essential’ shopping.

Schools have closed indefinitely, planes have been grounded and many other countries are also in lockdown. We are not alone in this pandemic!

However, I can’t help but think we are experiencing a bittersweet phase. The World has never been so still and although it is a global catastrophe I can’t help think that this virus could be the start of something good.

Unfortunately, we have to suffer consequences before we see light at the end of a tunnel but I wholeheartedly believe it is a universal shift and is Nature’s way of taking back and healing what the wretched humans have done to Earth.

We should be ashamed of our selves. We have selfishly used this planet for everything WE have wanted and not given an ounce back.

I understand the World is overpopulated with a worldwide total of around 7.8 billion people. That is a shit load of people doing wrong in some form or another.

Desperate times

Desperate times seek desperate action and I believe it is the lack of nutritious food that spurred some Chinese to eat such foods as Bat soup. I cannot imagine eating that here…delicacy or not.

They are also known to regularly eat dogs, cats, rats and snakes. Something I cannot imagine passing my lips without vomiting.

Taking Responsibility

Unbelievably, not one person or Country wants to take responsibility for what is happening in this World. Nor do they want to adhere to lockdown rules, which just shocks me.

To be honest I believe we are all at fault. Individually, each country has a responsibility to its people. Each person has a responsibility to themselves and the people around them. When did we get so greedy, selfish, jealous and revengeful?

As we are now told to stay within the confinement of our own homes, even that seems to be too much for some folk to understand and do. We have people walking the streets, congregating in groups and even some imbeciles are coughing into peoples faces and shouting they have Coronavirus, like WTF people, stay at home!

Our Hero’s

The hero’s of our days and nights are those who are maintaining our health, police, fire, food and energy services and doing it in a safe manner. Even some of them are having to live apart from their own families so they can treat the family member of other people’s families.

Sarah Lawrence on Twitter: "North Manchester General Hospital ...

Very often these people are in what some people would call ‘menial’ jobs – cleaners, carers, drivers and shelf stackers but for the love of God, they are keeping our country going and for that, I salute you all!

The least I can do is stay out of their way, stay in lockdown and self isolate with my family.

Home Schooling

With the schools closing indefinitely due to the National lockdown we are having to homeschool our children.

OK, so this initially filled me with fear and frustration.

I never EVER wanted to become a school teacher.

To be honest, I gladly gave the kids away to a school environment 5/7 days per week for 6 hours a day.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids but bloody hell … give me a break!

Luckily, I’m a creative person. I love to read, write and make things.

So along with the work the school’s have been providing electronically, we are managing to get into a routine of some form of school work.

I cannot fault the school’s in their ability to get the work ready for us to download and their personal messages to the children in their Form classes has been a great help in keeping the upset at bay.

My Kids…

Thankfully, I have two very astute kids.

My Year 9 daughter is getting on with it. She’s a bit of a book worm and a true academic.

From the age of 3, she has always wanted to be a Vet and since watching Noel Fitzpatrick on Supervet, she has wanted to take over Fitzpatrick Referrals ever since. [I’ve always said ‘Aim High Darling’, but I think that’s a bit TOO high.]

She keeps to a strict timetable, doing the electronically set work for a specific subject when she would normally be physically doing the lesson. She takes her breaks and lunch when she would normally do it and limiting her phone/Instagram time to evenings only (which is when it would normally be allowed anyway), so her routine is pretty much the same.

Homeschooling

My Year 6 boy, on the other hand, is slightly different. He will start his lessons no trouble but then he’s harder to motivate and keep going. He speeds through the tasks doing the minimum required and has the attention span of a gnat.

I think his mind works far faster than he can physically write so he gets bored easily.

We’ve had to mix his sessions up a bit and do life lessons in the afternoon too such as cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing, car washing, painting and gardening, anything that is practical and useful for his future.

Getting Paid

Thankfully, my part-time job is allowing me to work from home, so I will still get paid. Albeit it might only be the 80% wage the government are going to help out with but at least I still get to keep my job. Many have already lost their jobs or won’t be getting an income whilst we’re on lockdown.

Also, because we have a family and a low income, we already receive some state benefits so I am really grateful to not have to worry about where the next meal is coming from, however, I am acutely aware of families out there who are struggling and I do wish I could offer some assistance, I just can’t offer it financially.

Give Them A Break

Something I have witnessed in the little snippets of news I see (and we don’t watch or read all of it because of how negative it is). There will always be people out there who are just not satisfied unless they are slating someone or something.

The Government are doing a grand job, trying to sort out everything they can whilst not getting infected themselves. Give them a break!

It can’t be easy running a country and trying to keep everyone happy. Invariably there will be some that will think more should be done, and maybe there can, but these things aren’t always possibly straight away so give them a break whilst they figure it out.

Lockdown weekend: Stay at home and avoid Basildon parks | Echo

Most importantly #StayAtHome!

We Will Survive

As a nation, we have survived two world wars and other epidemics such as Spanish flu and the Plague. OK, so they were years ago, but those times weren’t as technically or medically advanced as we are now, so we should survive this, as long as people give it chance and do as they are told.

I hope there will be many good outcomes that come from this pandemic and people will learn new and refreshing ways to live their lives.

Until next time, stay safe all.

Clair x

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