6 May 2020

Reflection in the previous year is usually the domain of my Christmas newsletters, where I traditionally bemoan the fact that the year has flown by. But here we are, barely into May, and it feels like a decade of experiences and emotions have pummelled us over the past three months.

What have I learned from 2020 (so far)???

On my dog walk this morning, I made a spontaneous decision to swing by and grab a takeaway coffee on the way back. Five months ago, this could not have happened because I wouldn’t have spare change or my purse with me – but I am now fully capable of making money transactions using my phone. This technology has been available to me for well over a year but I’ve never used it, never quite confident with opening the relevant app and making it all happen.

I can now do it blindfolded.

This skill has been tested, tried and perfected over the past two or three months of continuous purchases of takeaway coffee and/or coffee plus a muffin for the work-at-home-bloke.

I have also learned to thread my overlocker (she says confidently after at least two times of successful threading in recent weeks).

I have learned to love my garden. Before it didn’t serve too much of a purpose for me (I cringe in shame as a Rankine saying that – I can feel my dad and sister sharpening their secateurs glaring at me) before, but having the back patio area become my oasis has convinced me of the value in the beauty of my small garden. And let’s not forget the bounty of passionfruit quietly ripening out the front 🙂

I have learnt that hugs and kisses are not the be all and end all method of expressing solidarity and emotion. They certainly are a preferred method in a lot of instances, but there are other ways that can work too. Not least of which is a takeaway coffee and a chat at distance.

I have learnt that toilet paper ultimately doesn’t make a lot of difference in how we cope with changes in our lives. It’s nice to have, certainly, and I wait patiently for the day when my preferred 3ply double length option becomes readily available, but until then I will make do with the other stuff. Just call me a frontier sort of woman, dealing with these sort of restrictions and hardships…

I have learnt that online shopping was a handy skill to have mastered before all this went down. 😇

I have learnt the value in expressing myself – whether it’s in writing some rubbish on Facebook each day, or craft work, or in talking…. I can see the value in that for myself, not necessarily for the poor person on the other end of the reading and listening.

I have learnt to filter through the ‘news’ to find stuff that is relevant, factual and interesting. And to ignore the rest.

I have learnt that humanity is equally fragile and strong.

What have you learnt in 2020 so far?