By Chris Cornford
A month of lockdown? Come on, let’s face it together!
George Orwell said ; “One cannot see the world as it is, unless one recognises the over-whelming strength of patriotism, national loyalty… As a positive force there is nothing to set beside it.”
We need to stick together to fight the virus, and not sit listening to the media and political pundits continually looking for paths of division.
Of course, we are blessed on the Isle of Wight. We have fresh sea air and lovely countryside all round us, as clean as air can be. We can breathe in and tighten our belts for a month surely, keep ourselves safe, and be a supporting part of the whole of England’s attempt to bring numbers of Covid cases down. Fewer cases will mean fewer infections.
Yes, it’s hard not to see friends and family, hard not to be hugged. But how much harder would it be if those friends and family members were struggling to breathe, fast losing a grip on life? Who cares about a beer in the pub? What if we don’t celebrate that birthday party on the mainland? What if we have to make an imaginative dinner out of strange items at the
back of the kitchen cupboard?
Maybe you’ll make your own Christmas presents this year? Blow that egg through, and keep and paint the shell. Think Faberge! No paintbrush? Use an old make-up one, and maybe some old nail varnish. Stick on tiny shiny jewels on from that old hair comb or broken earring. Sewing or knitting a winter hat could be fun – or an outfit for a toy bear?
Maybe you’ll write a story for your grandchildren? Or write down your memories for your grownup kids? Kids – write a story for your mum and dad? Or you budding citizen journalists – write a story for the Isle of Wight Observer!
Start painting? Take photographs of the Island – make a calendar? What’s in the cupboard or shed you can use again? Make a bookshelf, or a bird table? If you need things, buy them through your local shops – even little shops have websites.
Let’s think of all the bright things we can do to get us through these dark times. Let’s face the problem together – using “the over-whelming strength of patriotism, our national loyalty”.
We can cope! We can! This is Britain!
The Isle of Wight Observer is happy to consider publishing articles by our readers on topics of interest as ‘citizen journalism’. Send your articles of around 400 words to newsdesk@iwobserver.co.uk.
Press Release