Lockdown: The Good & The Bad

Can you believe that March marked the 2nd anniversary of the Prime Minister’s now legendary ‘you must stay indoors’ broadcast to the nation. ?

For two years we lived in a topsy-turvy world. A country locked in under lockdown, and then released for a fraction of time, before being locked in again.??

Debates raged as to who was an ‘essential worker’. We witnessed the biggest roll-out of a new vaccination since the smallpox endemic of the early 20th century, and the word furlough made it into our everyday vocabulary.??

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom.??

We clapped.?Every Thursday evening throughout 2020 we came together as a nation, neighbourhood by neighbourhood and we clapped our socks off for the NHS and all the key workers who were keeping the country going, as best they could.?

It was during one of these clapathons that I first spotted Hazel and Don, my over-the-road neighbours. ?

I’d only moved into the house just as the pandemic struck and so seeing people up and down the road and having a little wave to Hazel and Don felt really nice. Like a community of togetherness was forming under the pressure of such challenging conditions. ?

Over the next couple of weeks our relationship grew from waving to shouting over to ask how each other was to me offering to get some shopping for them. Hazel and Don are fabulous octogenarians and were shielding from the masses.?

Cut to this year and our relationship was much less at arms distance and much more me popping over for a cuppa and discussing our crochet and sewing projects.?

When, in 2021, Hazel told me that they were moving to Luton to live closer to their son and daughter in law, I pretty much hoped that it wouldn’t ever really happen.?

But, in early March this year, the fateful day came when we said our goodbyes and wondered if we’d ever see each other again.?

I’ll be honest with you, I was gutted.?

Arriving home for the first time after they’d left to see and empty driveway and empty windows felt like the end of an era. Even if it was only an era of a couple of years.?

But the universe works in mysterious ways, don’t you think??

Recently, I was working away for a couple of days with a client in Milton Keynes and, despite lots of meetings, I had one evening free. Tuesday evening.?

You know what’s not far from Milton Keynes??

Luton.?

And so it was that I reversed onto Hazel and Don’s new driveway with a massive smile on my face and a stomach full of giddy excitement ready to surprise Hazel and Don on a random Tuesday evening.?

And boy were they surprised!?

And boy were they as smiley and excited as me! ?

Catching up with two old friends was a joy. We chatted like …. well, old friends. I was even able to help them to plug in and set up their new microwave and be a helpful neighbour sort again.??

Once back home in Birmingham and during another catch-up with a friend, I mentioned my jaunt down to Luton. Her reaction took me by surprise…?

“F**k me, you drove all that way on your own? HOW? I get anxious driving a mile down the road. I was OK before lockdown, but now …” ?

And then, it hit me.?Lockdown affected so many people in so many different ways. ?

As Hazel and Don are finding a new lease of life and starting to get out more after lockdown, others are still experiencing unexpected hangovers of a life that was abruptly stopped.?

My friend always comes across as confident and up-front but she shared with me that, over the last couple of years, her confidence has deserted her, which has caused her to suffer from bouts of anxiety. She’s slowly getting there, but by her own admission, still has her wobbly moments. ?

As humans, we all possess elements of resilience, whether we know it or not, but it’s how we acknowledge them and build upon them that can help us to fly when we’re floundering. ?

Do you think your confidence is holding you back? What would you go out and do if you could dial up your confidence by just one notch? How would your life be different??

I’d love to hear how the last two years have affected you – positively or negatively. It’s good to share!