A new opportunity

It's Sunday, a dappled light spreads into our kitchen, a fresh breeze floats in, the smell of slightly 'singed' bagel, marmalade and the noise of battling Lego 'ninjas' breaks a moments peace (at 7am). We are knee-deep in lockdown and planning our moments of escape during the day (in-between frantically remembering additions to our Ocado order - my dedicated other half has been achieving Jedi-like slots in the wee hours, pouncing on a break in the internet). Its probably fairly 'normal' at the moment in the 'area' or 'bubble' we are very lucky to live in. We live in a beautiful part of Hampshire, 10 mins from Winchester, in a valley of green fields, gently rolling hills and twee 'village stores'. A real Daily Mail dream. We are not readers of the 'Daily Fail'.

We are extremely lucky to both be employed and able to keep going in a manner which is comfortable and safe, many are not so lucky and we try to remind ourselves & our children daily of this. Everything I read at the moment seems to either have a caveat or a cautionary tale, quite rightly, these are exceptional times of which only a few in society can remember such strictures enforced by state. Whilst we understand the government wishes to emphasise the grave seriousness of the state of play I can't help wondering if we're trying to 'force a fear/wagging-finger' on everyone. My generation (I just turned forty three weeks ago) is used to easy international travel, online banking/commerce, mobile comms and RSI from screen-scrolling; that said we are also used to using our comms to meet up for bicycle rides, the pub, parties and coffees - we try to have a balance.

Some of us may have seen WALL-E.

An animated Pixar film all about rubbish and the inherent failure of the human race to look after the planet and themselves. My 'current' normal is getting into my 'external' home office and trying to tame my unruly 'Lockdown Lid' (Covid hair, the struggle is real), ensure only my top button is undone and keep my backdrop reasonably professional for the inevitable video calls throughout the day. Video calls are the new email (or the new 'slight daily groan'). Who the hell is not Zooming or Team-ing and frankly, why not? I do crave human interaction, not through a screen though, the more I do it, the more I resent it - it feels like half an interaction or now, increasingly staged by an instagram generation.

Moving back to WALL-E, humans eventually are seen as large characters sitting on floating chairs with the use of their legs impaired owing to carrying a bit of extra-personal 'timber'. Wasteful, consumer defined and dictated to by screens the floating humans move in a circuitous state around a fabricated bubble environment. Are we far from this? I grew up without Nintendos/SEGAs etc until approx 14yrs, I was pushed outside and not allowed inside for hours, I climbed trees, built dens, played sport and fell off my BMX. It was perfect for me but I probably just did what normal then. My children need a blend of both but what they don't need is to see a laptop or iPad as the normal conduit for human interaction. We enforce strict timing (like most/many parents) on screen-time and work to make sure they are learning about the world around them, physically.

I read a number of interesting articles recently on travel (which seems to be hardest hit alongside restaurants/bars/pubs) and how it will be hit with possibly insurmountable challenges. I love to travel, it's probably my biggest passion alongside my family and it makes me sad to read about the things happening but it's now about adapting. Cleanliness will be our friend; lets use this opportunity to teach our children (and ourselves) incessantly about the need for hand washing, when to hold back and when to dive in. There is nothing wrong with washing hands more than we think necessary (that was the 'old' - we are in the 'new' now people), it might even stave off other infections, viruses or illnesses. For adults too, I don't think there is an issue about hand sanitiser being the norm, taking it with you on most occasions, having it in the car/in your commuter bag/sold at coffee bars etc. Working on biodegradable options on wipes and getting back to less fragrance and more effective germ-killer potions/lotions. The world could become a healthier place with a few adaptions to life and self/community care, we might even worry less. It needs a global effort.

My new job will require me to travel A LOT and I cannot wait, I love to meet new people, countries and cultures but it will take a lot of effort to get any business travel back to a level of viability. My business is predicated on personal interaction and relationships, that is not something that can continue to be affirmed by any form of video conferencing. Temperature checks and 'disinfecting pods' at airports are ok, I am cool with that, it's a small price to pay for looking after yourself and others. This is not 'a new normal' this is a 'new opportunity' to improve our health and of our global community. The biggest issue would be those 'hiding' from it, we need to understand why and help (not castigate and isolate - a lot of the reasons are usually societal/cultural stigma which we need to banish), the community is as strong as its last individual and we need to work to include everyone in this push for better personal hygiene. This of course includes letting children be children; rolling around in mud, falling out of trees and exploring the world around them. Experience is everything, for all ages. Just remember, to continue having those experiences we all must work hard to educate those in our care, why washing after is so important (this, as a parent, is the hard part). Don't let this deter us, we must re-open the world with a new focus on caring a bit more about our 'neighbours health' and why a little bit of self-care helps a lot.

Have a great week everyone.