I'm reminded of under-siege situations I've been through in the past, but they're utterly trivial by comparison. They were hugely stressful at the time but compared to what we're living through now, they pale into insignificance. I wasn't facing the possibility of an agonising death. I wasn't liable to be infected by absolutely anyone I came too close to. I wasn't at serious risk whenever I went out to the shops. They were just difficult situations that came and went.
Several times I've been "under siege" by neighbours. People who were endlessly noisy, people with drink problems, people who had all-night parties, people clattering across wooden floors in high heels.
Now I think, well, I may have had annoying neighbours, but at least I could still go into the outside world without the threat of deadly germs everywhere I went. At least I could continue my everyday life without every step restricted by the two-metre rule.
At least Jenny and I are under siege together. We can discuss how it feels, how it's affecting our daily life, how long it might last, and how well the government is handling the situation (answer - not very well at all). It must be worse for people living on their own, maybe with nobody to talk to or vent their feelings with. I feel a bit like a small child again, only allowed to leave the house if I promise to be VERY VERY careful and not do anything silly.
Yes, the same feeling prevails here too as I can gather from the various messages that I get on social media and phone calls. I don't feel the same way as I have in any case been confined to my home for the past few months. I am enjoying the quiet and revival of the flora and fauna in my garden.
ReplyDeleteRamana: I guess that's the upside of being confined to your home - your chance of picking up the virus from other people is negligible. And yes, just the right time of year to appreciate the flora and fauna.
DeleteI felt more 'under siege' following 9/11 because of the unknown fear of where terrorists might strike next. I'm trying to not get caught up in the media deluge of death and criticism of every government and nation. I do feel for those who are by themselves and basically a prisoner in their own home.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: 9/11 was certainly a siege situation for Americans. When we lived in London, we had a sort of siege situation when the IRA was regularly planting bombs in the capital. I'm torn between blaming the government for their mishandling of the crisis, and on the other hand saying they're doing their best in totally unexpected and unfamiliar circumstances.
DeleteWe are used to it as any type of bug has the capacity to kill Leo, given his particular illness. We used to shut ourselves away, bolt the front gate and put up a notice asking people to call on the 'phone rather than come into the garden.
ReplyDeleteThe British government's handling has been a disgrace, given the results of the 'dry run' in 2016 which were buried rather than acted upon. As Branson has his hands in the NHS pie, when do we see him cross dressing as a nurse and boasting of the contribution of Virgin Health to the fight to control the virus? More likely keeping his head down and waiting for more rich pickings.
Fly: Indeed, the dry run showed up a plethora of failings, but I gather few of them were acted on, thus explaining the shambles we find ourselves in today. Richard Branson is a greedy, selfish bastard who would love to be running the entire NHS as Virgin UK plc.
DeleteLiving in the country, the biggest changes for us are not going to the gym daily or going into town whenever we want for whatever we want. With the internet and social media, we certainly do not feel under siege. It's closer akin to cabin fever for us except that we are able to go outside and have about 4 acres of property with plenty of space for roaming and just getting out of the "cabin." Of course, with all of the rainy and/or cool days we've had lately, outside time has been limited.
ReplyDeleteMike: You're lucky to have four acres to roam around in. We have quite a large garden to sit in. The internet has certainly meant less of a sense of isolation than in earlier crises where communication was more limited.
DeleteOur life hasn't changed very much. We used to go to the grocery store every other day, now we go every four days and we wear masks and move through faster. Andy still goes up to the land almost every day and I exercise here instead of going to the gym. The days continue to zip by.
ReplyDeleteJean: Very few people here wearing face masks. But people are being scrupulous about distancing which must explain the very low number of virus cases in NI.
DeleteI echo Bijoux's comments.
ReplyDeletePolly: As Bijoux says, it's best to steer clear of all the media sensationalism and armchair criticism if possible.
DeleteLiving alone puts the current situation in a different light. I try hard to keep in touch with friends, many in the same situation.
ReplyDeleteJoanne: You seem to be pretty good at staying in touch with friends - including all your blogmates of course!
DeleteFor me the main change is having Dave home all the time. I used to save my video watching for when he was out for an evening so I wouldn't have to wear headphones. Now I try to remember to watch them when he takes a shower. And he isn't fetching fast food every Sunday as we used to do. That's pretty much it for change here since we otherwise pretty much live our lives in our electronic devices or working jigsaw puzzles.
ReplyDeleteLinda: Same here. There were things it was more convenient to do when Jenny was out somewhere. Now she's never out anywhere except the odd trip to the supermarket!
DeleteConfinement is the same as quarantine, right?
ReplyDeleteWe are doing fairly well, but around 4 PM, the house feels like the house is falling in.
Masks are essential. Some grocery and pharmacies have signs that no one without a sign will be admitted.
Susan: Wow, so face masks are now compulsory in some shops? That's not so here, and very few people are wearing them. But then, there's a chronic shortage of face masks, even for health workers.
DeleteI'm making these with the addition of a coffee filter in the middle for added protection: https://nypost.com/2020/04/03/how-to-make-a-diy-no-sew-face-mask-with-fabric-and-hair-elastics/
DeleteDave wears one when he goes grocery shopping.
Linda: I've seen so many Facebook posts about how to make your own face masks from bits of fabric etc. There's quite a little cottage industry going on here!
DeleteI live alone and the constant anxiety can be very stressful from time to time.I stay touch with Zoom but at times I get done in like a parcel from Daughter today and deliveries from Niece at weekend And I cried like a baby.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
www: Like Joanne, you seem to keep in touch with people very well. It's nice that you're getting little things from daughter and niece.
DeleteVirtual hugs to you, Nick.
ReplyDeleteSXX
Ms Scarlet: And virtual hugs to you too!
DeleteI think everyone is feeling that way and just trying not to catch the virus right now.
ReplyDeleteMary: Despite all the scare-mongering, the chance of catching the virus is actually tiny. In Northern Ireland around 2,000 people have been infected, out of a total population of 1.7 million. That's .0012 per cent of the population.
DeleteI concentrate on what I need to do, sometimes wonder if I’ve over-looked anything, but reconcile myself life is filled with unexpected risks and can’t avoid them all, so I don’t fret further. i value tech for staying in contact with distant family and friends to express my thoughts, etc. as I’ve had to do since my husband died, so kinda prepared to go it alone when I decided I wanted to stay in our home. Appreciate thoughtful neighbors who offer to aid my needs but haven't had to call on them much. Perhaps age makes a difference as I can view that I’ve lived a lot of years so can’t complain as I might if younger. That’s not to say I would want to go through the more severe forms of illness with this virus, so hope I’m doing what I need to avoid it.
ReplyDeleteJoared: Good that you have neighbours who're happy to give you help if you need it. We're doing some food shopping for someone nearby who has COPD and and is therefore in the "high risk" category.
DeleteI think it is an entirely different experience for people living alone or people in bad/abusive relationships.
ReplyDeleteAgent: Very true. Especially someone in an abusive relationship, who feels "under siege" in a quite different sense. There has been a big rise in domestic violence here during the lockdown, with limited places to escape to as the government is constantly cutting funding for women's refuges.
DeleteIt does seem to be worse since it has already been going on for so long, and there's no real end in sight.
ReplyDeleteDanielle: Indeed. It looks like we won't be back to anything like normal life for many months.
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