Jesus, what a couple of weeks since I took that drive up around Wicklow. It’s a whole different world now. Queueing two metres apart to shop for groceries, while scumbags in Swords try to skip the queue and pull knives on shop security. Parents in lockdown, cocooned within their own home for their own safety - because they’re in their 80s. No traveling beyond 2Km unless it’s necessary. Greeting neighbours at a distance. Every cough now suspect. Teachers trying to keep students engaged online; Jack’s such a good kid, so proud of the way he’s taking this all in his stride even though his Junior Cert is likely fucked.
Aside from all that, I’m amazed at the way humans can come together and work through things like this. Despite the political fuckwittery and point-scoring in some countries, our lot seem to be trying their best to actually lead like grown-ups. Never been a huge fan of Leo but, maybe because he’s a doctor, he does get across the message without much dithering about how serious this all is. And, for the most part everyone is being sensible after the initial toilet paper panic faded -seriously, WTF was that about. So far, food and water, power and communications, deliveries and collections, all carrying on as close to normal as could be expected.
The biggest shout out though, has to go to everyone working in health services. My mum was a nurse and I remember her coming home upset when her elderly patients died, it would take her some time to get over each one and I’m not sure it ever got any easier. And that was in normal times. What it must be like now for first-responders in the emergency services, nurses, doctors, healthcare workers, I don’t particularly want to imagine. Some of the pictures and stories are heartbreaking.
How do you reward selfless bravery like that?
Anyways.
Here’s to these two idiots, for surviving everything 85+ years of whatever the world has thrown at them and still managing to put up with each other.
And me.
Hugs/no hugs.