The current Coronavirus pandemic is creating the crackling static of white noise. Live news feeds direct to your phone giving updates on the latest number of deaths, hospital over-crowding and the shortage of ventilators. Grim-faced newsreaders telling us about sick politicians and failing businesses. There is fake news and fake information spreading on social media. We are given instructions to follow, and we are implored to do this, and do that. Statutory measures tighten by the week and all we can do is sit at home and wait for the numbers to start changing for the better. We suppress a growing knot of anxiety while washing our hands and washing our hands and washing our hands.
What seemed important two months/two days/two hours ago has changed. There is a new focus for us.
Listen beyond the white noise and something profound is happening. We are being shown different ways to live our lives. Lives of gratitude for the kindness of strangers, humility for the selfless actions of others, local lives of community helping our neighbours and a new awareness of the meaning of 'home'.
What can we take forward when the six foot season ends so it has not all been in vain?
