Is Coronavirus changing us? My tribulations seem insignificant when compared to our current situation, so I haven’t written a blog for awhile.

Watching the news daily can prove to be distressing and depressing in equal measure. When the virus first came here, bulletins reflected selfish panic-buying, the hoarding of toilet rolls and flour, a lack of hand gel/wash in the shops.

However, what is completely amazing to me, is that we seem to be going through a revolution of kindness and creativity. Moreover, the resilience and good humour most of us are showing whilst under lock-down is awe-inspiring.

Communication

Never has communication been so highlighted within our society. Neighbours check up on one another, volunteering to help their local communities and the NHS. Rainbows have appeared everywhere – children join in the ‘we are in this together’ theme with gusto. Who could forget Italian singers performing from their balconies to keep their neighbours’ spirits up? Similarly, the BBC News theme played from living rooms across the country? Local shoppers are supporting small businesses that have offered a new way of shopping via contactless delivery. We show support and solidarity by standing on our doorsteps to applaud key workers. We feel we know Captain Tom Moore personally, having watched his success and contributed to his fund raising effort.

Technology

Technology has come into its own with people coordinating dance routines or playing music together. Families stay in touch via video links. Learning online is prolific with many suppliers cancelling the joining fee or subscription. All this to help cash-strapped parents desperately searching for ways to keep their children entertained and educated. You can join exercise classes from ballet to high intensity workouts and everything in between. In addition, there are art classes, craft classes, language classes and how to create your own successful video for a online vlog. In short, the options to learn something new are mind boggling!

Neighbours

In my street we hold a ‘doorstep’ coffee morning every day, socially distanced but sociable.* It provides vital human contact, especially for those living alone and helps to create a structure for the day. We hold a ‘doorstep’ quiz once a week to exercise brains and again to provide that essential contact with other human beings. We are now friends instead of neighbours, swapping anecdotes as if standing at the bar in a pub!

I don’t have a definitive answer to the question: Is Coronavirus changing us? But I do know we have established stronger links with some people and new links with others; shown such kindness, compassion and selflessness; joined together in solidarity; found our creative spirit, imagination and enterprise.

We will never be the same again.

* We can do this because our houses are all set back from the road a little way, with steps up to the doors.

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