The absence of sport on the TV is strange. It would be fair to say that sport dominates many a television and is and has been a bone of contention between males and females for a long time. Many of us follow a sport, a team or an individual and that leaves a gap in our competitive natures. Certainly, as I have got older I’m quite happy for others to engage in sport on my behalf, especially those I cannot partake in myself.  Though I don’t compete myself, I can still feel the rush through the competitive natures of others in sports I love. But this, for the moment, no longer exists and I, for one, miss it. Conversations around sport are becoming less as everything shuts down for the immediate future.

So, we need to find a substitute for sport to gain our fill. I know that some of us still go out running and can compete against themselves, but that’s now beyond me. My son’s partner recently organised a quiz night for the family and everybody face timed on their phones. The competition was fierce and the competitive nature of all was apparent. It went on for an hour or more, was fun and each of us could compete on an even field.

We are no different from any other species of animal who compete to survive. The need to compete is a basic need within most of us, and on many different levels. With so much of our life in tatters at the moment, and being forced into lock down with others for a long period, the need for finding ways to adjust to this and other social needs paramount. All our basic needs have to be in balance to keep us feeling and acting normal, and finding alternatives  to the things we’ve temporary lost can help.

Wherever you are, stay safe.

 So here we are two weeks completed of the lockdown. I’m saddened by the number of people still out and about with no apparent reason. They are taking huge risks with their own lives as well as others I fear. Either they just don’t get, are ignorant to it, or care little about themselves and others. Images of the scenes on Brighton Beach were shocking and although this isn’t reflected in every area of the country (I’m pleased to say) I was appalled by the lack of cooperation showed by some. It’s not all down to one age group either, people of all ages were out and about.

It’s a strange life we lead at the moment, I can’t work, apart from writing and editing, and I’ve noticed that time has become irrelevant to me. It doesn’t matter what time I get up or go to bed, it doesn’t matter what time I commence writing or what time I finish. It’s strange, I’ve lived for years by the clock but now all sense of routine has gone. While it doesn’t matter too much for me, I can imagine there are those who are not comfortable with this. Time has all of a sudden slowed down and yet is passing quickly. Weird that!

 For those on the front line, so to speak, it’s the opposite. Time is everything and every minute of their day is accounted for. Tiredness, worry, fear and stress must be taking a terrible toll on them and what they are dealing with, on a daily basis, must be horrendous. Those who have somebody in hospital suffering from the virus must be living through hell every minute their loved one is in there.

Time is affecting us all, one way or another, I have time in abundance but I’m not enjoying it and I’m far removed from the virus. I wouldn’t be enjoying working in a hospital either, right now. The lockdown is affecting us all, but time only will tell how long it will last for.

Wherever you are stay safe

 With our Prime Minister in hospital, members of the royal family in isolation, it’s quite clear that this virus takes no prisoners and doesn’t differentiate between its victims. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from or how much money you have; this virus doesn’t care. Anybody can fall victim to the spread of it, and at any time. Many have been in contact with others who have it and gone home to somebody they live with. As a social status leveller, this virus is second to none.

And yet with all this going on, people still flout the lockdown, like I said yesterday. Come on people, read the newspapers, watch the news, read about the countries that are ahead of us, like China and Italy, see what the common people have said, listen to their warnings and for goodness sake make the responsible decision to stay at home. So, it’s hard, difficult, tough and we should not be like prisoners. Get over it, surely it’s better than dying and I’d bet good money that many of the NHS wish that they had the opportunity to stay at home.

It’s very easy to fall in the trap of visiting supermarkets more than once a week. But think hard about a second or third trip in any one week. Sure, we might run out of something, but can we manage without it? Most of us should be able do a weeks shop in one visit. If ever there was an unsafe place to visit, despite all the staffs effort, it has to be supermarkets, it’s the only place where people are congregating now, and it’s very hard to keep two metres apart in aisles that are scarcely that wide in some of the smaller shops. Again, think about it before you go, think smart.

Wherever you are stay safe

There has been conflicting reports about how to handle Covid 19 from both politicians and Medical advisors. Looking at it in a simplistic way, the two main viewpoints are poles apart. On the one hand lock downs and social distancing is the way forward from a governmental perspective, hoping to prevent the spread of the virus, to slow it down and make it manageable while they wait for testing and an eventual cure, and to reduce the numbers that need hospitalisation.

From our perspective the lock down is hard and already many are finding it intolerable. It is so different from the freedom we are used to. Social unrest is bound to get worse as time passes and all sorts of problems may arise from it when people get to the point where they’ve had enough and leave their homes. I guess this weekend with the rise in temperature and sunshine will give us an idea of how many will venture out against the instructions imposed upon us.

On the other hand, I’ve read various reports from medical advisors who believe that ending the lockdown is important. Letting the virus run its course through the entire population. The strong will survive with those survivors becoming immune to it. The weak of course will not and many will succumb, most notably the elderly. There is the added bonus that future generations will be naturally immune to the virus.

Neither tactic is particularly pleasant, and I am distancing myself from tackling the moral standpoints associated with both tactics. It’s complex, emotionally charged and ethically challenging. One thing is for sure, we can only follow one way or the other.

Wherever you are stay safe