Things we took for granted a few months back

Oh my God. Things don’t feel like they’re getting better, do they? Things don’t feel like they’re getting back to being normal any time soon. We hope and pray to God that our lives will return to the way we knew it.

Being bombarded with information on the coronavirus is horribly overwhelming. By the time you read this column we will have been in the second week of a complete lockdown. It is for our own good, I know.

And at the same time I think it helps us to remember the better times and to appreciate the many minute things we used to take for granted. Things we did without giving it a second thought. Now, however, we have to think twice, three times, four times, even five times before we even think about doing the most basic things like opening the front door to either throw out the rubbish or to bring in the shopping. Even shopping itself has become a hazardous task, if you are prone to fear-mongering.

I now appreciate the better times when we had no fear letting in a plumber to fix a leaking pipe or a blocked sink. Or allowing the air-conditioning guy in to clean the filters because it’s now getting warmer.

I appreciate the time we just brought home the shopping and put it away without the need to sanitise the packaging. I appreciate the time we were able to get into a taxi or the metro without fear of close contact contamination. Those of us who drive, or have driven, may even appreciate the idea of sitting in a traffic jam or waiting for a cab on a busy street.

I appreciate the time we didn’t need a lesson in how to wash our hands properly or the etiquette of coughing and sneezing (well, maybe some people did in the latter and perhaps some still do). I appreciate the time we didn’t need to wear masks or gloves to protect ourselves from something we cannot see.

Everyone feels like they’re in a scene from ‘The War of the Worlds’ except the enemy is neither an alien nor a human. It is from Earth but it is invisible.

Unfortunately some countries are reporting that whilst lockdowns are helping to curb the spread of the virus, instances of domestic violence have increased by more than 20% in some American states because everyone around the world is in such close quarters with their family members or flatmates all the time and every day. The only respite appears to be sleeping time.

So I appreciate the times when we used to be able to spend time apart from one another in order to appreciate the companionship later in the day.

I’m now making a conscious effort to not watch so much news. I now appreciate the days when Brexit was a huge issue for the United Kingdom. I appreciate the days when news was focused more on the UK elections and the Labour leadership contest.

I appreciated getting the chance to watch the very entertaining President’s impeachment trial and his eventual acquittal. I also appreciate having watched the numerous Yellow Vest type protests around the world unravel before our eyes, not because it was fun or good to watch but because it was a consequence of human nature; a desire, a need for something from those more fortunate and able to give.

No one knows when this pandemic is going to end. Unlike a normal war involving nations, a declaration cannot be made one day and the whole thing comes to a grinding halt and life slowly returns to normal. If only we had that ability.

President Trump would love things to go back to normal as soon as possible. Just recently he said he’d love to see crowds reappearing in sports arenas and for people to be able go to mosques, churches and temples the way they used to be able to. So would we all. I’d love him to be right about this.