What’s to like

Stop The Spread of GermsThis latest health scare might just make us a cleaner and healthier nation.  Anyone who has shuddered as others come out of the loo not bothering to wash their hands, will understand what I mean.  All of a sudden people now understand cleanliness is important.

Another ‘accidental’ benefit is fewer people travelling.  Already experts tell us there is less pollution around; how long that will last remains to be seen, but if it means yummy mummies looking after the kids at home for half term, rather than providing boasting rights for ‘the kid who travelled furthest in half-term’, all well and good.

Does anyone really need to be taken to Thailand or Australia for half-term?  No sooner do you arrive than it’s time to return. And Greta won’t approve.

Avoiding public transport

During cancer treatment, I was warned that my immune system was going to be fragile, so I made a conscious decision NOT to travel on public transport, and especially the London Underground.  If I could, I walked or cycled to appointments;  if too far, I used savings from transport fares to pay for a taxi.  Out of our group, somehow I was the only one who managed to go the whole treatment cycles without a single sick day off; take from that what you will!

People are looking out for neighbours

As I am well over 70, I am going to have to self-isolate, so posted a query on a local Neighbourhood page.  And was inundated by readers offering to do my shopping. One of them, C., dropped by yesterday with lovely new-laid eggs – her neighbour raises chickens and sells them, so I am well in there.  Lovely unexpected benefit!

Then I saw a posting on Facebook from Becky Wasse of Falmouth:  “I’ve been feeling pretty helpless watching the news. Maybe you have too? I wanted to do something about it, so I’ve made a postcard that I’ll be posting to my older neighbours as this progresses (after washing my hands!).If just one person feels less lonely or isolated when faced with this pandemic, then I’ll feel better about it (I hope!)  Coronavirus is scary. Let’s make kindness go viral.

If you want to copy Becky’s idea, here is the postcard

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So, provided we are sensible, perhaps ‘self-isolating’ isn’t going to be as lonely as we might think!
I’ve put a couple of chairs outside my front door, keep a bottle of wine and glasses inside the door, and reckon this is going to be my entertaiment space until the crisis is over!
An end to ‘kissing’?
Could this crisis see an end to cringe-making kissing?  Whenever someone is introduced on TV to another, it seems obligatory that the two strangers kiss each other.  Well, whenever a stranger tries to do that to me, my first reaction is to jump back.  Let’s hope kissing returns to something you carry out with people you know – not strangers.
Nothing new
In 1665, England was in lock-down due to the Plague (the Great Fire of London cleared up a lot of lingering infection). 
Sir Isaac Newton was working from home, had time to watch an apple drop from a tree, and came up with the theory of Gravity.