My Lockdown

Just one among millions

First off, I was pretty much retired before this all started. The pension comes in and although it isn’t a lot, at least we can eat.

My wife had sepsis in January and has come out of that with a heart problem. This puts her in a ‘vulnerable’ category, so she is forbidden to leave the house until mid-June. My youngest granddaughter was diagnosed later the same month with Type 1 diabetes and is under a similar quarantine. Both she and her sister are at home because their school is closed, and my daughter is a single mum who normally works at a greeting-card shop which is closed for now. Fortunately, she was on sick pay before this happened and that continues to be paid, along with her benefits. Her former partner, who claims to want to be involved with his kids, is being about as much use as a chocolate teapot. We’re lucky.

As the only member of the family able to go out, I do the shopping for all of us. Oh, joy! We men just love shopping, don’t we?

But you know what? It’s not so bad! I’m actually enjoying the social distancing. Two metres is actually a comfortable distance for me. I no longer have to be intimately aware of the dietary preferences and personal grooming and hygiene choices (or lack thereof) of complete strangers. We Brits are a nation of curry-lovers and while I enjoy a chicken Jalfrezi myself, I don't really want to share last nights’ Tikka Masala. Over- application of Old Spice or Obsession is also a sin committed by far too many. At least I can now breathe in the…