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EPISODE 98 – PODCAST TRANSCRIPT
Hi there, welcome back to Kelly Martin Speaks. I’m your host Kelly Martin and this is episode 98.
Today I am going to talk about moving out from lockdown into the world again and how we can live with Coronavirus.
Recently on my blog I wrote about lockdown syndrome, a very real syndrome that many are experiencing right now. Some of us have found comfort in lockdown, enjoying the seclusion, the quiet, and others have felt safer being indoors or having more time for self-care, but now as things are gradually changing we need to be prepared to move out into the world again.
Some people have not stopped working during this time, from our frontline key workers like doctors, nurses, supermarket staff, refuse collectors, police and more. They haven’t had the pause most of us have had, but for some moving from the safety zone of home is scary, some don’t want lockdown to end, they are scared for their health and wellbeing, understandably, and others are desperate for lockdown to end. I guess I lie somewhere in between.
One thing that strikes me when I listen to people and read others’ thoughts on social media, is that many think it is too soon to end lockdown because of the virus and while they may be right, there is also the question we all need to face, what if a vaccine never comes? What if we simply must live with this virus in the world?
The Facts
Well, the fact is we have always had to live with viruses, bacteria and dangerous possibilities in our lives that were invisible to the naked eye. We never know whether we will have another tomorrow or if we will live into our hundreds. From Sars to Covid19, Aids and HIV, this particular virus has felt more infectious and fast moving, but it has also caused a global reset to happen more so than other diseases. We have had to face our own mortality, face the fact that there are things that matter more to us than money or the material and superficial world. Things like human connection, hugs, human touch, a smile from a stranger, the warmth of a loved one, events like birthdays shared with family and friends, many of these things we have had to go without because of lockdown.
So much we perhaps took for granted shown to us very brightly, that these things matter and while some may have had vacations overseas, business trips abroad, many of us never had these opportunities so didn’t miss them nearly so much, but the removal of the opportunity to have them leaves the feeling of missing out, the freedom of greater choice.
In the UK we have been on lockdown for around 6-7 weeks. We had a more intensive lockdown for a time, but not so intense as Spain or Italy. We were allowed outside to exercise once a day and collect necessities like food or medicines. Now as workplaces begin to open up with strict measures in place for social distancing, while the country grapples with how to make public transport safe (the London tube is particularly challenging as a very large underground network, notorious for being very busy), people are slowly emerging from their safe cocoons into the world again. Providing we don’t get a second wave, next month schools will be opening for a small number of children, and other businesses will restart.
While I understand why people who are at a high risk from this virus, people who are on chemotherapy drugs, are immune suppressed or have respiratory illness, obesity, diabetes and other health issues are scared to go into the world, the rest of us need to start getting used to this new socially distancing normal for a while.
I’m not sure if we will get a vaccine, because the previous Coronaviruses still haven’t got vaccines, so the only way to live again is herd immunity for the healthy, because if more of us have the antibodies and immunity from this virus the less likely we are to pass this on to those who are being shielded.
My mum is being shielded right now, she has lung disease and also is not long out of chemotherapy for cancer. She is going to have to be extra careful for some time.
But the rest of us?
We need to start to face facts and look at this life as it always has been. We simply may have missed the reality of living because of the fearful news and often dramatic headlines.
Life Is Full Of Risks
Life is full of risks, life is unknown, life is uncertain.
As my family would often say to me ‘You could be hit by a bus tomorrow Kelly’ which is true, I could be, I could come down with a deadly disease, but equally I may not, I may experience life for longer and more fully.
I’m a big believer that experiences come into our lives for us to learn and grow from. This can be from the joy of beginning a new relationship to the sorrow of loss. Nothing can enter our lives without it being part of our own personal journey, nothing.
So if cancer has knocked at your door, it was meant to. It may suck, it may be something you would rather not have happened, but it arrived into your life for whatever reason. And if Covid 19 has entered your personal world, it has done so for a reason.
Now, cancer or Covid 19, the number 88 double decker bus, may not enter your world also, because it may not be a part of your life journey.
Nothing is wrong or right in terms of what experiences we have. We simply label them as bad or unwanted or good and wanted, but in essence if we can simply accept that life happens, in whatever shape it arrives, we will suffer far less.
And as the UK opens up again, as we are encouraged out to work, to shop, to live again outside of our homes, but in a new way for a time, we must do so with gusto! We must do so wisely! We must choose to be aware and alert.
Yes, we can be cautious, wash our hands often, wear a mask on public transport or in enclosed spaces, but we can still live and find beauty in the world. We can still enjoy what we have. We can explore the great choice and freedom and accept those freedoms that may not be there for us just yet and live this life we chose to live as human beings.
While most miss the touch of loved ones, hugging grandchildren, my family are far away. I only get to see them once a year anyway; I don’t have children, so I don’t miss that aspect of life at all. I miss travelling to places outside the city and enjoying the great outdoors. I miss my local cafes and people watching through the windows. My life was already simple before and this time of lockdown has reminded me that when social distancing is lessened at the right time, I will find ways to meet new people and connect with a humanity I have been more disconnected from than I wish to be now.
We all have different reasons for wanting lockdown to end and also different reasons for keeping lockdown in place, but like anything in life, it changes. We cannot stay in one place forever; we have much more living to do and more people to meet and places to see.
Be wise in your exit from lockdown, but remember to smile, to be aware and alert, but most of all embrace what is here and the blessings you still have.
Thanks for listening to this episode of Kelly Martin Speaks
If you have a question or topic you are struggling with and would like me to answer on an upcoming podcast episode, please get in touch. Your name will be confidential. EMAIL me at kellymartinspeaks@gmail.com or message me on Facebook via my page Kelly Martin Speaks.
And don’t forget, if you feel that others are passing you by and ‘The Not Good Enough’ voice is screaming loudly, pop by kellymartin.uk to find out all about my books, including Book 1 ‘When Everyone Shines but You’
You can also support my channel via my podcast page on my website kellymartinspeaks.co.uk via Paypal or buy me a coffee via ko-fi.
Until next time…bye for now
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Kelly Martin, author of ‘When Everyone Shines But You’ is a dedicated writer and blogger who fearlessly explores life’s deepest questions. Faced with a decade of profound anxiety and grief following the loss of her father and her best friend Michael, Kelly embarked on a transformative journey guided by mindfulness, and she hasn’t looked back since. Through her insightful writing, engaging podcasts, and inspiring You Tube channel Kelly empowers others to unearth the hidden treasures within their pain, embracing the profound truth that they are ‘enough’ exactly as they are.
