I’ve felt a nagging pressure to write something about the Coronavirus lockdown recently. Not because I have anything profound to say, but just so I have some record of it. An historical document of sorts, I guess, because this is obviously a Big Deal™ in many ways. Coincidently, after I started writing this I got told I’d be returning to work, so things will be changing again.

Whisper it, but I’ve found being on lockdown a largely positive experience. Gone were the usual expectations and schedules, the rush and stress of the school run, the obligation to make the most of the weekend, etc. And sure, there were different challenges and responsibilities to go with the new routine, but the very act of adjusting to it kept me engaged. Take home schooling. I now have a wealth of worksheets and lesson plans that will serve the family well going forward. I’m also (finally) taking a professional, structured course on app development rather than blindly following online tutorials. And gardening! Unheard of before this.

I’m been lucky in that A) I don’t live on my own, B) I have a garden, C) I have a wealth of things to do. Without all that I probably wouldn’t have coped with it quite so well. My wife is an essential worker too, so my fortune isn’t lost on me.

I hope that when this is all over, there will be a general reevaluation of what’s important to people, a new appreciation of the simpler things, a rebalancing of work and life across society. But I’m probably being incredibly optimistic about that.