Corona Virus and A Mindful Moment

Nothing Happened Today…Except’ 

Nothing happened today, except I needed to into town. Now, usually, that means a rush to catch the bus, a noisy ride into town and the usual rugby scrum to get around the supermarket, not today.

Nothing happened today, except that when I walked out of my door, a man touched his cap in greeting. Now, I’d seen his face three or four times in four years but, we’d never acknowledged each other. In the courtyard, every morning, a man sits smoking 25 to 30 cigarettes a day, every day. He has Type 1-2-3-4-5 diabetes (if there is that many) and is undoubtedly a prime candidate for the wooden box (if the fags didn’t get him the virus must) And yet, there he was today, sitting in the same chair he always sits in and smoking a cigarette. I felt grateful, glad that he’s survived another 24 hours of the virus. Into the road and…and, it was like being transported back to my youth.

The 1950s.

The road was empty. I mean, empty. I could roller skate that is (or I could have done if I’d ever learned to) I could play ‘keepy-uppy’ or ‘kerbies’ with my football (I could have, but I didn’t)I could cross the road. I mean, I could just cross the road. No Zebra Crossings or Pelican Crossings, I could just cross the road.

The lane

There’s a lane, a shortcut to the bus stop. It’s usually busy. It’s a shortcut to the shop as well and so more active than St Pancras on a Saturday lunchtime. Not today. Today, it was so quiet I could hear the birds sing. Strange, I thought, we are imprisoned by a virus brought, we are told, from bats, and one of the creatures to benefit from it are the birds (is it a conspiracy?)

The bus

Bugger it,

 I’ll walk. I couldn’t do that while I was walking, too busy, see. Now, a walk is a pleasure. And the benefits? Well, usually only fitness aspect, no one walks around here anymore. Top of the hill, two women are talking, don’t worry; they must have been 10 feet apart. I walked by and smiled.“Strange, isn’t it?” One of the ladies just began a conversation with me (talking to strangers, tut) I’d never seen her in the four years I’ve lived here. But it was ‘nice.’

Avoiding Strangers

Do you know how, when you’re walking on the path, and someone is coming the other way you try to keep to your lane? What else would you do? You wouldn’t walk into the road to avoid them, would you? Rude.Not now! Now, the people wave a hand and thank you.

Town

People are queuing 3 metres apart waiting to go into Marks and Spencer, two at a time, and queuing happily. Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the 1950s
https://youtu.be/7o_QBLDzO80