The Isolation of Solidarity

Today marks 6 weeks for me in working from home and aside from a little dip in mood here and there (which would probably happen during “normal times” anyway) it’s not been too bad.

Like most of us, I miss the regular contact with people. it was a shame not to see my family in person over Easter. I miss the mutual, comical verbal abuse bandied around the office.

I fear for the sanctity of my annual fishing trip, which has taken place every year for over 10 years now. I also miss the freedom to catch up with my drinking buddy and put the world to rights at our favourite watering hole - yes, I know we can Zoom/FaceTime etc., but you know as well as I do that it’s not the same!!

However, as we all know: this will pass. Once it does, I think there’s a lot of people who will need a release to acknowledge or celebrate the re-establishment of our fortunate freedoms and we can also take that opportunity to raise a glass to those poor souls who were lost and indeed all those who were there on the various frontlines keeping us well, fed and watered.

I know that eventually my drinking pal and I will go out, give each other a big hug, share a manly tear and have a couple of pints of fresh-pulled Handsome at The Factory Tap as we swap isolation stories.

On the strict proviso that this is all carried out at a time when the government and their now-respected experts decree that we are safe to do so, I really can’t see the harm in that, which is why I can’t help but laugh at the keyboard warriors and self-appointed, “second wave” virus experts leaping on this story. To my simple mind, lacking in any expertise in anything (except jelly beans - one thing we CAN all agree on is that a cinnamon jelly bean is an abomination, sorry, somebody had to say it) the local council was merely offering the opportunity to do something nice and positive for the community once the storm has passed. 

Instead of taking the time to actually consider the proposal and then make some constructive suggestions as to how the balance between celebrating life/acknowledging death could have been achieved, the idea has instead been unceremoniously crapped all over!

At first glance, our new found sense of solidarity would appear to be just one big cinnamon jelly bean to these people. Bright and enticing from the outside, but bitter and surprisingly unwelcome within.

Fortunately, with a little care and attention these particular beans can be avoided in favour of others more pleasurable upon the palate.

The bottom line is, Kirkby Lonsdale, that I will happily come and party with you post lockdown, but only once it is deemed safe to do so* and once confirmation that the righteously indignant and outraged folk lurking in shouty forums and comments sections spouting their ill-informed bile have calmed down a little and are ready to come and play nicely.

Stay healthy.

*On reflection, if the headline had been prefaced with this, all this outrage, anguish and even this very blip may have been avoided.