The Lockdown

We are now seven weeks into the lockdown and everyday seems to be the same day. Sometimes when you wake up, it takes a bit of thought to actually realise what day of the week it is. The routines are similar though. All sites are closed so for me, business is at a shut down. I still head into the office though for an hour or so each morning. Something to keep some sort of sanity. It’s more to keep myself in a positive state of mind than anything else.

The roads of Killeavy have never been walked as much. Roads and scenery that in my 40 years of living here, I didn’t even know existed. I now appreciate more than ever the beautiful country we live in. I appreciate even more the beautiful part of South Armagh that I am from. Surrounded by mountains, each one outdoing the other for the views and the scenery. Overlooking Carlingford Lough, the Mournes, Dundalk Bay, Camlough Lake, the 18 Arches and Newry, all from the one place. Where else would you get it? Thankfully we have a dog, Milo. He motivates us to do our walks. To get out in the open air, grateful that the weather has been kind to us and to make small talk with anyone that passes by, keeping our distance of course. “Sure, isn’t it great to get out for a walk” and “Strange times we are in” is the key phrases to most conversations. Strange times indeed.  What would we have done for the last seven weeks if it was raining?

Staying indoors too long is not good for anyone and poses serious challenges mentally. Don’t get me wrong, some are more than happy to do this but it’s not for me. By no means am I much good at gardening, but I’ve done my fair share of it during “these strange times” as have quite a few. Some families will do the LOCKDOWN better than others. Some simply have it better than others. As each day goes by, we are a day closer to getting back to the norm. Staying motivated is critically important. Keeping yourself active and busy keeps you in a strong state of mind. Motivate others around you. It might be baking, cutting the grass, improving your football skills, even a five-minute walk will do but something that will help clear the head for a bit. Walking the dog, watering the grass, running the roads, calling to the office for that hour each day has helped me. Social media and gaming play an important role also. You can interact with your friends but too much of it cannot be good. It’s ok to put your phone down every now and again. Get outside and enjoy the weather now. For all we know, it might even be our summer. Is it perfect? Absolutely not, but when is anything ever really perfect. Use your time wisely now, because before we know it, we will be back in the rat race once again.