Perspectives after Lockdown
by
Cecily Lynch--
Change
in my Perspectives after the Lockdown:
A
three-minute radio talk after the style of ‘Thought for the Day’.
I
was dashing about, always on the go, involved in dancing, singing,
composing and volunteer work. Suddenly my world shut down.
The
world had narrowed to sitting room, kitchen, bedroom and garden,
because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
At
first it was just a lark; no work no responsibility, plenty of time
for reading and TV, a holiday in fact...
After
a few days, I began redecorating, baking, scrubbing, wallpapering.
Then I took to baking and cooking like a mad thing, trying out every
recipe in the book.
I
moved into calmer water after this volley of over-activity.
The
garden was my refuge. The
sweet fresh air, the miracle of growth, the birdsong, the buzzing of
bees and whirring of insects in all their variety, that
was invigorating.
Weeding
took the place of yoga and line-dancing, larks replaced concerts, and
the dawn and dusks were enchanting as they moved over my garden.
I
had found a balance at last. Perfumes of flowers and herbs scented my
days. The
old refrain proved true: ‘You are nearer to God in a garden than
any place else on earth’.
Freed
from duties in the larger world, I could study my neighbours and
become involved in the community of my neighbourhood. There was
another world to be experienced here.
My
neighbourhood is highly populated. There are large Victorian houses
interspersed with apartment houses.
There are over twenty
nationalities living in this Victorian quarter, of all ages and
professions.
I
began to observe people closely and get to understand and appreciate
them. Of course, I understood that they were observing me as well,
and as I watched and listened, I could see that my neighbours were
watching me and listening to the sounds of my life, as I was
listening to theirs from my windows.
In
fact, we became very close, even though we could not visit each
other. They left food outside my door, they left notes, they
video-called me and I did the same for them.
They
say ‘No man is an island’, and never more so than in this
pandemic. We depended on each other. We supported each other. We were
more aware of each other. We were kinder to each other.
I
feel I have emerged a more contented person, more confident in my own
resources, and far more aware of the lives of my nearest
neighbours.
And
then, there was the Social Media, Facebook, Instagram, on-line
shopping and Zoom, a universe in itself. The whole world came to me,
to my small world.
At the click of a button I could be anywhere,
anytime, talk to any continent and study any subject. The gift of
technology was never more appreciated.
I
emerged from the lockdown a much fuller person.