Just Looking Ahead

Looking ahead which is what we’re all doing in these equally troubling and challenging times waiting for this pandemic to end whether this is from a vaccine or from other means. What lies on the far horizon?

In times of adversity we need to be one step ahead in this dance of  life we find ourselves in. It may be that in the very near and possibly bleak future we need to reassess how we live, eat and work. Are the arts especially theatre going to be as vibrant as we’ve known it or will drama spaces be completely different?

Will our diets change and careers such as teaching or more home working is the go-to in the coming months.

As the wise man once said, ‘Only time will tell,’ or watch this space.

 

Is This Our New Normal?

In some ways it seems a lifetime ago when the news media was reporting of a possible virus invading our shores and all government sources were dismissing it as if we were all immune. But in the grand scheme of pandemic things, no one is immune.

At the beginning of the year everything was as it should be as we all progressed with our day to day lives oblivious to any real outside influences apart from the odd election which wouldn’t affect us anyway would it?

But now our new normal consists of social distancing, being masked up and wondering if going to the pub, cinema or the theatre will ever be the same again. Will it ever be the same you know the way it used to be or is this really the new normal.

Well for now, yes, it is then one day we’ll have another normal and these days will be another thing of the past. But one thing is certain this normal we’re all living at the moment isn’t normal or maybe it is.

Until we can move on lets all support and look out for each other. Isn’t that what normal people do in the times of crisis and never stop looking out for our friends and neighbours and the stranger in the street.

Help For The Homeless Is Needed

As we experience the second lockdown this year it would be fair to say no. we are not all in the same pandemic boat the same as we are not born equal or live in a classless society.

Yes, only a handful of stores are allowed to open and schools, colleges and universities must remain open possibly adding to the potential spread of the virus but why then are homeless people not being better protected.

When the first lockdown was announced in March, many homeless people were accommodated in hotels and hostels not only saving countless lives but also preventing a spread of the virus into the local and wider communities As the cold winter weather begins to affect the most vulnerable people in our society shouldn’t we still be caring now about the homeless or was that strictly a one-off episode.

We constantly hear that this pandemic will force us to change and be more caring towards each other or is that just another sound bite of these times. Let’s make a change and begin on the streets, help the homeless charities more and make sleeping rough a thing of the past.

Yes, we cared about the homeless people in March and we should care as much today as well as tomorrow.

Should We Be Writing About The Pandemic

This may be at the outset an odd thing for a writer to ask, ‘Should we be writing about the Covid-19 pandemic,’ bearing in mind this blog has been created to do just that but this falls between two brackets, fiction and non-fiction.

On the non-fiction side, there is the daily media and blogs like this one detailing the real-life experiences and they should be out there but what about the fiction side. Do we want or need to read about in a novel what we’re experiencing and living through on a daily basis?

Well, maybe not at the moment but we will one day as we read and watch this drama being played out from the dark humour to the dramatic and the tragedy or even being depicted in a science fiction novel.

So yes, writing does and should depict what we experience. For some writers this can be therapy as we try to come to terms with this painful and bitter experience as we look to the time when masks will be a thing of the past.

The Second Wave Is Here

For several weeks now both scientists and health officials have been warning that the second wave was imminent and immediate action was needed. As this advice was ignored or overlooked the country is once more under another lockdown hopefully for the last time while a vaccine is being developed.

It’s a hardship for everyone with their own unique circumstances but we also need to be more caring for our neighbours and look out for the more vulnerable in our community such as the elderly, disabled and those living alone.

The government, opposition parties and organisations all have a key role to play by informing every one of the actions that need to be taken and why. It’s a question of those in authority not only informing but also discussing the steps to be taken otherwise we’ll have a 'them and us' situation which helps no one especially in the middle of a pandemic which has affected everyone.

A prime example of this was at Manchester University where students this morning awoke to find themselves being fenced in, this is not only distressing but students all over the country have suffered enough without having to endure more stress.

Let’s hope that the government and institutions begin to work with and not against people and build for the future when this pandemic is finally a thing of the past.

Will four weeks of lockdown be enough, we’re about to find out.

 

Introduction To The Second Covid-19 Lockdown Blog

Welcome to the first post of the Second Covid-19 Lockdown blog

Although I write another blog which is available at https://paulwoodswriter.wordpress.com this blog will be documenting my thoughts journal like as we go back into another lockdown. For more information on future posts please subscribe to this blog.

As a country, we are not alone in experiencing the most challenging if not harrowing times seen by the majority of the population and I wanted to document this period as seen through a writer's eyes and of course words.

I’m intending to blog two or three times per week maybe more depending on my experience, although this is a blog on the Covid-19 pandemic it’s not a a political treatise or biased towards any of the main political parties or its leaders and is, therefore, an unbiased and impartial journalistic blog.

Thank you for reading this introductory post. #secondwave #covid-19