When all of this is over

We are living in strange times. Something I never could have imagined when the new year began. It is now several weeks since Covid-19 hit our shores and live as we know it has been upended. I try not to read too much news because all it does is increase the mounting feeling of anxiety about what is going on. I stay home only going to buy food as needed, walking the roads by my house, watching a lot of bad TV and ultimately waiting for my next shift at work. I appreciate I'm lucky in having job security but I'm also aware of how at risk I am working on the front lines so I'm mostly keeping my head down and doing what I can to get through this.

 Someday, hopefully in the not too distant future, restrictions will start to be lifted and life will return to some semblance of normality only we actually appreciate all the little things we took for granted, at least for a short while.

 For now though I am grateful for my introverted nature. I still actively savour the time to myself. In all of this lockdown madness I have neither felt particularly lonely nor bored. At times like in the evenings I can temporarily forget this is government mandated because Im doing what I'd normally be doing. I do acknowledge if I was working from home it might be a different story but for me the contrast is good. Work has been a little intense and stressful and I often need a day of no interaction just to sort my own head out and then a day of doing stuff like buying essentials and chilling out and I'm usually back at work on the day after that so I don't have an endless mass of time to fill. There are still podcasts to listen to and books to be read and shows to be watched and I find myself rationing them out so I still have things to look forward to when I'm off.

 In some ways my life wont change dramatically when lockdown ends. I was socially distancing way before it was cool but all the same I am actively looking forward to re-experiencing some things for the first time.

 Like; seeing my family face to face and not on a zoom call with a shaky connection, Day trips to the sea and other scenic places, sitting down to actually savour a coffee and treat with my book somewhere, shopping in real life shops, planning a holiday either in Ireland or further afield. I guess going by the news reports that could be a while off yet but its nice to plan and to dream. For now though I will keep finding little pockets of happiness where I can while staying safe and staying home.

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