Writing, writing, writing, writing

This is getting weird. There seemed some point writing about the first lockdown because it was novel and we were all learning how to deal with it. I know I keep going on about the sunshine and it really wasn’t that significant. But there was a clear blue sky for weeks and the sunny spell seemed to have begun at the same time. There seemed to be a timeline (even if there wasn’t). Maybe that’s because it had a start and we figured there’d be an end of sorts once we’d flattened the curve. Of course we’d all been gaslit but what could we do? Maybe we should have stormed Parliament with our St George flags shouting “Engerlaand, Engerlaand”.

At this time I just need to write (even if no one’s reading). It’s all bonkers (as us Engerlish like to say). The clap for care workers resumed last night but that’s going down like cold sick. What care professionals are telling us is to follow the guidance — exactly what we should be doing, not because government tells us to but because it really is down to us.

I hate this situation: being mindful to do the right thing but only to stop things getting worse. Who believes the government is doing anything to solve this? Sadly that’s probably half the population and all that tells me is we are well and truly screwed. Facing disaster can be life saving if it means getting real and actually dealing with the situation. This crisis was probably inevitable so instead of bemoaning our lot, maybe we should square up to the devil and say “No pasaran” if only there was a red guy with horns and a tail we could face off.

But let’s face it, life is a slow bake and the cliff edge is usually the time to resign yourself to your fate. Thankfully we are not facing red skies, lit up by forest fires (at least in the UK). We are not being held captive in our homes by armed guards. You will not be going to jail for not wearing a mask and we are not seeing desperate shortages in the shops. Having said that we are seeing more and more food banks and the like. Its likely we’ll see a rash of evictions over the coming months and homelessness being more visible. But these are not signs of the end of the world, they are signs of a failing government and there’s still something we can do about that even if our options are limited.

Thankfully Brexit is over. I’m not thankful we’re out of the EU and the deal sucks. But the entire political drama around it was toxic to the point that only destructive voices were being heard. Cynicism can be healthy (you shouldn’t believe half of what you read) but no good can come when it consumes political discourse. I believe we’re in a better frame of mind now. As much as we might want to rail against those in charge of the Covid fiasco, they are not the focus. The NHS is on it’s knees but regardless of the politics behind how its being run, the institution itself is considered sacred. In the public mind its above politics.

My sense is that we are moving into a phase where common sense can be heard and where voices of reason register. Regardless of spin by government ministers and the lies that are not picked up by mainstream media, every U turn further undermines the credibility of both politicians and media. Its important that consistent voices, along with consistent actions, are hitting the right notes and making the right waves. Crisis upon crisis is of no help and knee jerk responses to those crises sound like clanging bells. If we are to make the most of 2021 it needs to be viewed in it’s entirety rather than being navigated month by month.

To coin a grossly overused phrase, this is a marathon, not a sprint.