50 sheds of grey... breaking the boredom of another lockdown
MRS Naylor, as ever, hit the nail on the head as we went on a Government-approved walk this week. “People are talking about it because there’s nothing else to talk about,” she said and she was right.
Minutes earlier we had encountered one of our friends who was jogging the same route we had chosen to yomp around.
Maintaining distance, she stopped running for a quick catch-up with us, asking us what we have been up to since lockdown Mk III began.
Nothing, obviously, was our reply, even joking that the highlight of our week, apart from bringing you all the news of course, was moving an item of furniture from one room to the other.
“Are you pleased with your new shed?” she then enquired and, after answering that – it’s a nice shed, after all, and prompted us into spring cleaning the former one back in November – we walked away, laughing to ourselves.
I never thought I would be so animated about the intricacies of four walls that house a couple of bikes and a lawnmower before.
But I was, going into great detail as to how much less clutter there was now it was in place. And that is when my wife uttered the words that she did at the top of this week’s column. “We’ve ended up talking about the shed because there is nothing else to talk about,” she said.
“No one has been anywhere, no one has seen anyone else, nothing of interest has happened in anyone’s lives since Christmas and that was boring because none of us could go anywhere or see anyone.”
Apart from some people seemingly thinking they have a God-given right to take up as much room as they want on the footpaths local to me, lockdown Mk III is already reminding me of lockdown Mk I, even though we’re just two weeks into it:
■ Rushing to the door to answer it to a delivery man because it is a different person to interact with;
■ The simple joy of seeing a familiar face in the park to exchange pleasantries with for a few brief moments;
■ The delight of seeing the name of a mate phoning you for a chat even though there is little to talk about;
■ And, yes, getting animated about your new shed which you paid for with the holiday money you saved up and which should have been converted to euros, dollars, yen or whatever the currency is of the country you were supposed to be visiting last year.
Instead, you spent two weeks at home staring at the walls, watching bad TV, mowing the lawn far too frequently and reading books.
Although I appear to be painting a picture of sadness and boredom, though, the reality is that I’m fully accepting of the situation we are all facing.
I’m thoroughly enjoying spending so much time with my wife; she tells me the same and I even believe her.
We have been getting out and about in our local countryside and the police are yet to stop, question or fine us for doing so.
Then again, we don’t live anywhere near Foremark Reservoir.
Like all of us, I am missing seeing family and friends but that is, I am afraid, the reality we are currently facing and will be for some time yet.
And at least I have a new shed to potter around in...
I’m enjoying spending so much time with my wife; she tells me the same and I believe her.