Lockdown 48/49 – "Extra" time

Day 48 of my diary of a LOTR Fan Museum owner during our national lockdown (extended from 28 to 47, then 49 days: 33 at level 4, 16 at L3) – in NZ we’re uniting as a country to beat Covid-19 to break the chain and save lives, but …

So, like sports players in a brutal match, we’re in “extra” time with our lockdown - in 2 days we’ll be able to leave our bubbles and go out into the world - we’re moving to Level 2 on Thursday 14 May (or actually at 1 min to midnight on 13 May). This will be a staggered change, but much is opening up on Thursday.

The new job, STAY HOME, be kind, will be over, though national measures to manage Covid will still apply.

I’m ready - but I don’t yet know what for. Like the Fellowship I don’t know the outcome of this journey at a personal level, national level or world level. But, I’m up for what’s next and I’ll play my part - “I will take it”.

This extra time remains a gift. Today I walked again on the seashore with my bubble sister. Amazing to see the shells, the lovely colours of the rocks and sea. Food for the soul. The “Eastern shore” is quite amazing - its landscape was lifted several metres upwards in an enormous earthquake in 1855. I think what we’re experiencing now is a seismic societal shock of the same magnitude, and I expect our society will bear physical and psychological signs of the event for decades to come.

We spoke (at appropriate distance) with an elderly woman out walking with 2 walking sticks. She spoke about her experience of lockdown and how lucky she feels to be here. She described going into town to the pharmacy as “frightening” and how calming it was to come back to her home by the sea. She spoke of all the projects she intended to do but which have been left unfinished. She spoke of her joy at being able to video call with her daughters.

There’s so much shared experience which was reassuring. But, there’s also lots of really difficult experiences been/being had, and I know our society will need to work through the price that’s been/being paid for our safety. Some are bearing a greater share and it’s important that our society recognises and compensates for that as we go forward. I speak particularly of our young people and small businesses.

Meantime, as I’m writing this just now, a friend has found some LOTR treasures for the Museum - some further autographs from the premiere parades in 2001-2003. Happy to give these a home on loan in the Museum. Thanks dear friend!

My thoughts are with all of us as we alternatively enjoy and endure these last days of the harshest strictures. Best wishes, Kathy xx