So decided to try and get some work done today, and having seen an article on the breakfast news discussing the potential reopening of schools I decided to start drafting a document for pre-school. I think I just needed to do a bit of a brain dump to get all the thoughts and questions out of my head and onto paper!
There are lots on unanswered questions at the moment about this virus in general, never mind the relaxing of the lockdown and the potential reopening of schools. The media seems to like mentioning the 1st June which would coincide with when the second half of the Summer term would start. This would give us a 7 week term before we broke for the Summer holidays...assuming that the holidays still take place. This just means lots of speculation about when schools will open, who will they open for and how will they open and still observe social distancing. As the UK has the worst death rate in all of Europe would it not make sense to just take things really slowly? The Scottish government have today said that opening schools if not handled correctly could cause infection rates to rise again and put undue pressure of the health service. Let's just hold off...give things time to take effect and then make a decision. Let's look at other countries and see how they are handling their lockdowns and learn from them, like we should have done back in February! Perhaps if we had gone into lockdown sooner we would not have such a high death rate and we would be in a position to relax our lockdown in a manner in which everyone feels comfortable and safe.
One of the side effects of this extended lockdown is, I think, going to be the public's confidence to get back out into society. When we've been told for months that there is this deadly virus out there and you need to stay home what is going to compel us to go out into the big wide world? Are we going to see people suffering from agoraphobia? Are we going to be a nation of germaphobes? Will we like the new world we will have to live in? Will we want to 'just go back' to what we used to do? Will we have the confidence in what the powers that be tell us when it is more and more apparent that their slow reaction has made the situation worse than it could have been? Do we have confidence that they will learn from their mistakes and be better prepared for either the 'second wave' or the next pandemic to raise its ugly head?
I want nothing more than for life to resume, to be able to see the people I love and care about and to give them a hug. To be able to meet up with someone for a coffee, a walk, a drink in the pub or go out shopping. To be able to travel again to all the places that I would love to visit. To be able to enjoy my life in the way in which I want to enjoy it, at the pace at which I want to enjoy it and do all that when I want to. But I want to do all of that in a world that is safe for all of us and if that means a bit longer living the way we are now then I would rather do that than put myself, family, friends and colleagues at risk.
I think one thing I will definitely be taking from all of this, and coupled with my own personal events of the last 12 months and the preceding few years, is to make sure I live my life the way I want to in the time that I have left. I fear that I have spent too much time doing the 'right thing' at the 'right time' whether I wanted to or not. Time is now of the essence and I need to figure out how best to use the time that I have to do the things that I want, when I want! Time for me and those I love the most.
Stay safe, stay home, take care.
xx
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