The prospect of living through a significant period of history has always been a desire of mine. I have always looked at events such as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and thought to myself; “Wow, I wish that I was there. That would be a brilliant story to retell my future family.” I never envisaged that my notable historical experience to be a mass pandemic.
I live in a fairly small town in Lincolnshire, with a population of around 45,000. No deaths or cases of Covid-19 have occurred as of yet. Compared to the capital and other cities in the country, I feel like I am living in a somewhat isolated (pardon the pun) bubble, to the true horrors of Covid-19. I obviously keep up to date with the developments of the virus within the country and the world, so have been virtually exposed to the despairing situation that humanity faces. But, if I was to be asked how I felt through these times, my response would be very limited. I can only describe how I feel as what seems to be a state of existing. Life is now dystopian. All forms of normality I once had have been stripped away and for someone who depends upon routine, this has been particularly hard. Being in such a mindset, leaves one to feel very pessimistic for the future. The likelihood of returning to normality seems like a far away goal. Describing myself as a somewhat emotionless person during these times, however, is a bit of an exaggeration and allows me to be perceived as not caring for the families that are suffering from the effects of Coronavirus – that is not the case. I grieve for those that have lost love ones, I feel for the people that are spending time in isolation on their own and my heart is both sombre and proud of the NHS and key workers who put their lives on the line for the sake of the country. Maybe I shouldn’t feel so hopeless and deadpan then, when there are many, many people who have it far worse than me. All I am doing is sitting at home, completing university work, keeping myself occupied and I am luckily surrounded by my family who are all safe and healthy. I am in a very fortunate position.
My description of current times casts a very dark shadow over the world, and the world is a dark place at the moment, but that doesn’t mean that people’s spirits have to be dimmed. Regardless of political stance and your views of a 99 year old man walking lengths of his back garden for an organisation that should be completely funded by the government, the extraordinary courage and determination of Captain Tom Moore should be a signal to society that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Solidarity and benevolence will see us through these times.
Dr Kristopher Lovell 