In the shop, we pick up our few pieces, keep our distance, engage in (very little) small talk, smile and leave. Irishness kind of turned on its head. We drive back through Eerie Town, cursing this Covid, desperate for it to pass – Paul Healy
Thursday/Friday
Every day starts with Covid-19, and every day ends with Covid-19. The virus has taken over our lives, hopefully only for a period of weeks or months. Its shadow is everywhere…in our homes and workplaces, on TV, radio, social media and in the newspapers, at every turn we take.
In Roscommon Town, the shutters are coming down. When you work in a newspaper office – and it may seem odd for a journalist to say this – you can end up being cut off a bit from the outside world. We’ve become prisoners to emails and our phones. Stuck in our screens. For years we’ve been saying that we need to get out and about more…now we can’t!
I digress. By Friday, I badly needed a walk, a clearing of the mind, a break from the office. It was a beautiful day, far from in harmony with our troubled times. That afternoon walk through Roscommon Town was an eye-opener. On door after door, window after window, the grim new order was mapped out. Notice after notice spelt it out. ‘Due to Covid-19, etc., etc., etc. we are temporarily closed. If you need to contact us, call…’ A town moving towards lockdown, not waiting for The Directive. Devastation for business, an earthquake for the economy.
Driving through town at night has been eerie. I don’t want to overstate it, and this WON’T last. There are lots of people out walking – social distancing being observed – and many shops are of course open. But it is quite eerie, particularly from 8.30 pm or so onwards. The pubs are silent. There is no noise. No lights, no colour, no atmosphere. People walking. Walking and waiting. At times, it felt nice…calm. But it is not normal.
Saturday/Sunday
Most people in County Roscommon are remaining indoors except for necessary journeys. The trip to the shop, usually a sociable and routine exercise, has a slighty strange feel to it. (Local shops have really played a blinder, erecting glass around check-out points and taking other creative measures to ensure that social distancing is observed and that staff and customers are protected).
In the shop, we pick up our few pieces, keep our distance, engage in (very little) small talk, smile and leave. Irishness kind of turned on its head. We drive back through Eerie Town, cursing this Covid, desperate for it to pass.
Back at home…the temptation always to dip into social media. Over the weekend, people tweeted their fury over widespread ignoring of social distancing guidelines at outdoor amenities. A clamour for lockdown gained momentum.
Sunday was Mother’s Day. To paraphrase Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (who was speaking about St. Patrick’s Day)…a Mother’s Day like no other. People were strongly advised to avoid visiting mothers (in particular, to avoid children and grandchildren visiting elderly mothers/grandmothers). Sad, but necessary. The ladies in question understand, and are bravely buying in to this (temporary) new reality. Creative methods were used to ensure that mothers were told how much they are loved and cherished. On a country road, I saw a pink bag (clearly a Mother’s Day present) left on a gate pillar at the entrance to a long avenue to a house.
WhatsApp videos, intended to lift the mood, are being circulated non-stop. They might not appeal to everybody, but for many people, humour offers some respite in this crisis.
As for TV, radio and social media, it is now essential that people cut back/manage their intake of the non-stop and utterly gloomy media coverage. Of course most or all of this media coverage is superb, but we all need to ration our exposure to it. There are films and comedies and other shows that can be watched. Even The Kardashians has a certain appeal now (escapism). And go on, admit it…you’ve all seen Gogglebox, Sister Wives, Come Dine with Me, and Escape to the Chateau, haven’t you?
Monday/Tuesday
By Monday evening, it was clear that further restrictions were imminent. In the UK, where up to recently they’ve been ‘playing catch up’ during this crisis, decisive action was taken: complete lockdown. Extraordinary times. Of course it remains to be seen how realistic it will be to implement such dramatic measures. Reports on Tuesday that police in the UK had to break up a barbeque at which about 70 people/idiots were present, underlines the challenges facing the authorities and the recklessness that some people are still engaging in.
Here, the Government introduced stringent new measures on Tuesday evening. We have full coverage throughout this week’s issue.
Wednesday
On the street today, I met a man who wanted to talk. Many people are lonely. I feel particularly sorry for the elderly, for people who are on their own. This man was cheerful enough, once someone engaged with him. He had a few conspiracy theories about what we’re going through, about why all of this is happening. I listened (observing social distancing) and moved on after a few minutes. He seemed pleased to have got it off his chest!
People are nervous, but resilient…in good humour, friendly. But there’s an undisguised anxiety in the air. Everywhere, there is evidence of great volunteerism, of generosity, of good people doing good deeds. And we must give a special mention to our heroic frontline workers.
Let’s keep doing The Right Thing. Take care. Watch a little less ‘news’ – and enjoy The Kardashians.
