Slow deep breaths, one day at a time – and plenty of cocktails!

WE knew it was coming. Every eejit in the street knew it was coming and yet . . . when he opened his mouth last Friday and told us he was extending the current restrictions till May 18th, it felt like a shock.

Because deep down most of us probably held a tiny glimmer of hope that Leo would say, “Ah lads, you’ve all been great. Everything is under control. We can all go back to our normal lives now.”

And I don’t blame him. I think he’s absolutely doing the right thing. But still it was a bit of a shock.

What was even more of a shock to me – maybe I’m just really bloody naïve – is the gradual nature of the roapmap they have laid out for us. Realistically speaking, if everything goes according to plan and there are no setbacks, we are looking at the end of the summer before there is any semblance of normality.

There are so many questions and not a huge amount of answers. Like how is the economy ever going to recover from this? How will small businesses survive? Will any of us have any money to spend to rebuild the economy once this is over? How will we protect our elderly, our sick, our vulnerable in society going forward? Will we ever travel again? The list is endless.

I’m feeling a bit sorry for myself this week, which I think given the current circumstances, we are all entitled to do. I don’t want to do any more feckin’ Zoom quizzes or any other contrived form of entertainment. I’m fed up of them.

I don’t want a designated cocktail night in my living room – although to be fair, every night this week has been cocktail night as I try to anesthetise myself! I just want a nice cold G & T in a long glass in my local, surrounded by friends when we talk about anything OTHER than Covid-19.

And that’s the other thing – I feel like I’ve got nothing to say anymore! I know – that would be a first! But I genuinely feel I have nothing to contribute to a conversation because my life has dwindled to that of the mundanities of these four walls. Do you want to hear about me cleaning the kitchen, making endless snacks, ironing a shedload of washing, watching drivel on Netflix?

No I didn’t think so. I’m actually boring myself at this stage and I usually find myself quite entertaining. Someone has to!

I suspect the secret to getting through this intact mentally and physically is to take it one day at a time. Slow, deep breaths and one day at a time.

And plenty of cocktails … obviously!

I’M FEELING A BIT SORRY FOR MYSELF THIS WEEK, WHICH I THINK GIVEN THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES, WE ARE ALL ENTITLED TO DO.