10 THINGS I WILL MISS WHEN WE COME OUT OF LOCKDOWN
26/04/2021
Here are 10 of the things that I will miss most when the 'new different' finally kicks in...
1. Not worrying about what to wear. I have pretty much worn track suit bottoms, a t-shirt and hoodie for 13 months. I kinda liked it... and as for growing my hair! Yes!
2. Lunch with Janice every single day. We are pretty religious about the family having the evening meal together. For over a year we have been able to have lunch together too… and Janice’s home made chicken broth - yum!
3. Evenings to ourselves. In the “old normal” there were literally weeks without an evening without some meeting. The box sets we have binged on has been glorious... never mind the football seen live.
4. All the sermon preparation time. In my own restrictions, for health and love thy neighbour reasons, I have not been as busy out and about. That has given me so much more time to ponder the texts for Sunday’s sermons instead of rushing preparations at the end of the week. I believe they have been better as a result.
5. Less people cluttering up my own thinking time. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I long for the stimulation of conversations over cafe tables, in my office, over our dining table or pastorally in Fitzroy homes but I often get caught up in unessential chats that keep me away from reading, writing and preparation. I have so enjoyed that extra time.
6. That when I take the Biblical text and attempt to set it in the context of Fitzroy that it has been universally the same. So many have shared with me how much more they have gotten from the sermons on-line than when we were gathering. I have tried to explain that that is because I know the context of everyone in the congregation. The text should hit the spiritual bullseye every week!
7. Not having to drive to and between meetings. How much time do we waste in cars and buses and trains and what damage we do to the environment? I loved being in Zoom meeting within seconds and out of them the same.
8. Shopping being an unessential part of life. I am suspicious of the “I Shop So I Am” definition of our humanity and was pleased, personally and socially, that it went on hold.
9. The thriving of birds and wildlife. Without question there was been a breather for our environment during these strange times. With less humans cramming towns and fields and forests and beaches wildlife has been blessed. I fear a snap back to old normal.
10. My introverted personality has, like the environment, taken a breather in Coronavirus Times. I struggle in crowds. Oh it doesn’t look like it but I have social anxieties for sure. I have enjoyed the break. I fear that as many had their mental health stretched in isolation, that moving back into crowds will be a mental challenge for me.
I couldn't agree more Steve, I hope we find ways to keep the best bits of what we have grown used to this last year - the founder of Kintsugi Hope, Patrick Regan, speaks of bouncing forward rather than falling back into old habits.
This past year I have you to thank for the connectedness of Fitzroy and the 4 Corners festival - and most especially for introducing me to Duke Special - he and I went to the same school, Down High, and as fellow introverts hid in the same music store at break and lunchtimes - not at the same time I hasten to add - and he clearly put that honing of his musical talent to far greater use than I did mine!
One thing I will look forward to is being able to come to Fitzroy again in person :-)
Posted by: Carolyn Beck | 27/04/2021 at 06:38 PM