Sixth form student Marti shares her diary from before and after lockdown, documenting some of the fears, confusion and hope that all of us are feeling right now...
Marti says:
Monday March 23rd.
It's a sunny Monday afternoon, the flower buds are beginning to blossom, the sky is an endless blue. There is a light breeze that makes the air feel fresh and crisp. But we are all inside. It's a very strange set of circumstances that have meant I am sat with my laptop writing a blog post. I should be in sixth form studying for my A Levels, or more realistically, sat in sixth form eating strawberry laces and complaining about going to work this evening. It's in this season of uncertainty that we begin to realise how much we have taken for granted.
Coronavirus has meant that we are all attached to the news apps on our phones, glued to our TVs at 5pm, and waiting for the next piece of breaking news to hit. The most recent notification I got on my phone was from the BBC news app nine minutes ago: "Hold this device at an arm's length. Double that distance, and that's how far you should stay away from people...". The world has changed in ways we cannot imagine. Schools, restaurants, bars, gyms, and cinemas are closed. We cannot visit elderly grandparents or relatives for fear of transmission; vulnerable people have been told to stay indoors for months. Supermarkets are having to put restrictions on the amount of toilet paper, medicine, and household cleaning products we can buy, and pasta, milk, and flour have become luxuries. The safest way to talk to our friends is over the phone, and yet we have been told our phones could be harbouring the most dangerous bacteria.
But we are not entirely without hope. The pace of life is slowing down for many people, and communities are being drawn together. Libraries are extending the number of books that can be taken out, schools are opening their doors to care for frontline workers' and vulnerable children, and neighbours are doing the weekly shop for those who must stay indoors. Despite the uncertainty, we can be certain that this is a time for hope.
Tuesday March 24th.
Last night it was revealed that from today, the UK is in lockdown. Obviously, this is a scary time. Plans must be cancelled, businesses forced to close, and we are only allowed to leave our homes once a day for exercise. The scariest part of it all is the fact that thousands of people still must work on the frontline, keeping the NHS in operation. These people expose themselves to the risk of transmission every single day in order to keep others alive. Similarly, essential shop workers, such as supermarket employees and pharmacists must remain at work in order to supply individuals and families with the things they desperately need. I work part time at a supermarket, and last night the shelves were being cleared almost as fast as we could fill them. Shelves of pasta, milk, and cleaning products lay bare, leaving many without the items they so desperately need.
It is an extremely scary time for everyone, but we can get through to the other side of it. Keep calling the people who you care about, keep helping others with their shopping, and keep being kind.
Monday March 23rd.
It's a sunny Monday afternoon, the flower buds are beginning to blossom, the sky is an endless blue. There is a light breeze that makes the air feel fresh and crisp. But we are all inside. It's a very strange set of circumstances that have meant I am sat with my laptop writing a blog post. I should be in sixth form studying for my A Levels, or more realistically, sat in sixth form eating strawberry laces and complaining about going to work this evening. It's in this season of uncertainty that we begin to realise how much we have taken for granted.
Coronavirus has meant that we are all attached to the news apps on our phones, glued to our TVs at 5pm, and waiting for the next piece of breaking news to hit. The most recent notification I got on my phone was from the BBC news app nine minutes ago: "Hold this device at an arm's length. Double that distance, and that's how far you should stay away from people...". The world has changed in ways we cannot imagine. Schools, restaurants, bars, gyms, and cinemas are closed. We cannot visit elderly grandparents or relatives for fear of transmission; vulnerable people have been told to stay indoors for months. Supermarkets are having to put restrictions on the amount of toilet paper, medicine, and household cleaning products we can buy, and pasta, milk, and flour have become luxuries. The safest way to talk to our friends is over the phone, and yet we have been told our phones could be harbouring the most dangerous bacteria.
But we are not entirely without hope. The pace of life is slowing down for many people, and communities are being drawn together. Libraries are extending the number of books that can be taken out, schools are opening their doors to care for frontline workers' and vulnerable children, and neighbours are doing the weekly shop for those who must stay indoors. Despite the uncertainty, we can be certain that this is a time for hope.
Tuesday March 24th.
Last night it was revealed that from today, the UK is in lockdown. Obviously, this is a scary time. Plans must be cancelled, businesses forced to close, and we are only allowed to leave our homes once a day for exercise. The scariest part of it all is the fact that thousands of people still must work on the frontline, keeping the NHS in operation. These people expose themselves to the risk of transmission every single day in order to keep others alive. Similarly, essential shop workers, such as supermarket employees and pharmacists must remain at work in order to supply individuals and families with the things they desperately need. I work part time at a supermarket, and last night the shelves were being cleared almost as fast as we could fill them. Shelves of pasta, milk, and cleaning products lay bare, leaving many without the items they so desperately need.
It is an extremely scary time for everyone, but we can get through to the other side of it. Keep calling the people who you care about, keep helping others with their shopping, and keep being kind.
Cathy says:
These words are shared from Marti's own blog, which is a brilliant read and a fantastic and reassuring resource for anyone struggling with lockdown. How did YOU take the lockdown news? COMMENT BELOW to have your say. Do check out Marti's blog and give it a follow so as not to miss a single post: https://martistelling.blogspot.com/?fbclid=IwAR1us9XNaf_jpAPBM7DTFR9elXVBZ5DPU-d94lPg0mHr7fU2jZndF0bAL1s
"But we are all inside..." Yes. It feels unbelievable ..and you have captured that along with that essential...being kind to eachother. Keep writing!
ReplyDeletehi during lockdown it has been an opportunity to write!
DeleteIt is cool to keep a diary to look back on this time. It is a really strange time, emotions are so different, one minute ok then scared and worried for the future. We are all in the same situation though so I hope we can connect and support each other the best we can <3 <3 <3
ReplyDeleteCan u give me some tips on how to make a cool diary. You are amazing!
ReplyDeleteI have tried keeping a diary as well, it really helps make sense of everything <3
ReplyDelete