A Fifth View from The Apocalypse.

Has it been six weeks already since I started these posts? I must be getting used to it…. Or not, really. I’m still having no issues (or at least minimal issues) coping with Social Isolation. To me that’s just a normal evening/weekend/holiday extended into the future. So six weeks hasn’t really fazed me – so far! After my sleep extending slightly after retirement its dropping back again to about 7-8 hours which is good. Ideal even. I’m not as physically active as I was with work so I’m watching my weight and will need to see about either eating less or burning more calories. I’ll think on that one.

I’m definitely reading more – finished 2 books last week and I’m a third of the way through my next one. That’ll slow down a bit now I’ve just downloaded a new game – Two Point Hospital – which is fun, funny and quite addictive so far. Anyway I’ve averaging 80 pages a day which will take me to 70-75 books this year if I can maintain that level (I’m not anticipating any issues).

I’m not having any issues with supplies which is nice. My local supermarket is literally 2 minutes away (I can see it from my bedroom window) so I’m leaving the house about 30-45 minutes before it closes (at 10pm) and catch them as they’re restocking the shelves. Not only do I generally get exactly what I’m after – including a 9 pack of toilet roll tonight - but the footfall is pretty low at that time so there’s a minimal of the Social Distancing dance going on. It’s good to see people taking it seriously but it can be a bit off-putting when people look at you as if you’re carrying a blood splattered machete if you get less than 10 feet away from them. I have had a few ironic shrugs of shoulders ‘what can you do’ looks which made both of us smile. Like everyone else we’re muddling through.

But I am certainly counting my blessings. So far both I, my friends and my family are all fit and healthy. From a personal/selfish point of view I definitely see myself as one of the lucky ones: I have no work worries as I’m retired now and even if I was still at work my company had already given us the tools – laptop and phone – to Work from Home. I have money in the bank, a company pension and have paid off my mortgage so don’t have any financial worries. Indeed, because of the lockdown, I’m actually spending less money than usual. So, yes, lucky.

Any problems I am anticipating are purely First World problems – like haircuts. At some point – if this lasts into the summer – I’m going to have to butcher my hair ‘style’, not that many people would even notice as I slink between the shops and back in the dead of night! I guess such things will just end us as another story to laugh about in the after-apocalypse party. If that’s as bad as it gets I think me and mine will have gotten off very lightly indeed.

So, I’m still here, still healthy and still (comparatively) sane. I hope that all is as well with my readership. It still has a way to go but there’s positive signs out there. Eventually they’ll have a vaccine and then we can get back to whatever is the new normal. I wonder if I’ll shake another person’s hand ever again. That’d be weird – not doing that and whilst I’m not a known hugger I’d definitely miss the odd one that does come my way. See you all safe and well on the other side…