A Bold Move

As the world continues to spin through this pandemic, for many of us it feels like time has stopped and in the same breath the things we had stopped we have now resumed. Hobbies, rekindling friendships, sending mail instead of a text, or sending a text instead of not sending anything at all.

This is honestly the most social I have been in… ever. FaceTimes, HouseParty’s, Whatsapp Video Calls, Zoom’s, Hangout’s , Skypes. My eyes are literal piss holes in the snow from the amount of screen time I’ve had. It’s a total blessing that a truly terrible time has brought so many people together or generally more ‘digitally’ present in each others lives. I’ve shown my parents how to video call and seeing their faces smiling back at me is so wholesome, and my little nan is learning to use Whatsapp as well which is class because she currently doesn’t know how to use the space bar on her current phone and everymessageisonelongsentacnelovenanxxxxxxxxx.

I live in London and a stranger has never once said hello or good morning to me, UNTIL A WEEK AGO when on my singular allowed form of exercise. I can’t imagine the city remaining that friendly but the idea that it once was is a nice take away.

This situation has defo had me counting my blessings more, the moment I get a twitching nerve that I want to moan about something I’m quickly feeling major grateful for what I have and the position I’m in. I really want to see the other side of this situation with clear skin (please lawd), more patience and a Nokia 3210 because I can’t keep up with this smartphone social life anymore.

This lockdown isolation period has forced me to get into some interesting hobbies I hadn’t previously considered, such as caring for Sea Monkeys, trying to complete a 3000 piece jigsaw I am not interested in and de-weeding the entrance to my rented flat. I have also continued to keep up with other hobbies I have worked hard at for many many years, including playing The Sims 4 until I look stoned, jumping out and frightening my flatmates at the perfect opportunity, and being a total beg on social media to my favourite rapper. I have a job that requires me to speak to the public all day long so this is defo contributing to my lack of umph to chat shite with my mates, although I am quite grateful I haven’t succumbed to doing a Tik Tok trend yet, I was initially intrigued but now, it can piss off. I’m interested in Chrissy Teigan’s tweets and Dawn O’Porter and Rosie Ramsey’s insta stories only.

It has felt wrong to try and make light of this situation and to even find a crevice in this time to slot this piece of writing in. So I’m not trying to make light of it. It’s shite. I guess I’m just scribbling down some thoughts and letting anyone know that you’re allowed to be pissed off, you’re allowed to not want to FaceTime your pals every single weekend, you’re allowed to not want to exercise at home, you’re allowed to make an excuse to not socialise just like you usually would if we weren’t in lockdown. If anyone else has felt like me, a bit overwhelmed with the amount of digital social contact, just get off your phone, get someone else’s Disney+ log in details and binge That’s So Raven.

Top tip: you can play the Ellen DeGeneres game Psyche with your mates, have a laugh and not even have to speak 👌

I hope you all enjoy making sourdough and reorganising your spice racks, shaving your heads or killing your sims. Whatever is getting you through this time. I hope your fams and mates are safe and sound and that you’re not too hard on yourself for feeling whatever the fuck you feel. I’m off to do an at home chemical facial peel in hopes it will also peel of my constant look of ‘get me out this fucking flat’.