Visiting Hours

06 November 2020

A dear friend came to see me earlier this week, as it was a few days prior to ‘lockdown’. But it was just for half an hour. In some ways it was a bit like how I believe life can be in prison and given my general theme for this series of writings, it prompted me to compose the following:

Day 122: Today I was allowed outside into a different area here, they had put up a small structure in the gardens for folks to come and visit us. I thought it might be a chance for me to escape, but two warders (sorry, I mean ‘Carers’!) accompanied me and escorted me into the ‘pod’ as they have called it. A dear friend had come to see me before we all get this total ‘lockdown’! Then I saw that it was all set out like the old visiting rooms as shown in prisons on some tv series! This meant that I was on the ‘inmates’ side and my friend was on the ‘visitors’ side, with a Perspex screen in between. So we were able to see each other and talk using the speakers and microphones built in, but no exchange of goods or anything. I was kept on my side until the ‘Carers’ came to collect me, half an hour later. Still, it was really good to see my friend after so long.  She had brought a few items to me, but the bag was taken away and then left in my room. They probably checked all that was in it, too! I was hoping that I’d get that skeleton key to access the front door, but no such luck! Health & Safety, Security and all that I guess. I returned to my room as it was time for lunch and the smell of all the fresh paint in the nearby Tv room was too much to bear! Well, we are looked after. But it did cross my mind, wondering about what things we had done wrong. I’ve an idea about my life, but what about others – they’re not saying…

In truth though, all the staff at this Care Home are brilliant, they all do a really excellent job and I’m happy to be here for as long as I am meant to be. 

I’ll make no comment on the world outside, there is silliness all over the place as usual, including elections in the U.S.A. Perhaps I am in the best place right now. For some reason I was not at my best earlier this week, but the painters are decorating some of the rooms here and my sinuses have been playing up. I had an awful headache the other day, but that’s all cleared now I am glad to say. So I’ll keep this weeks writing a bit shorter than usual and look for a bit of inspiration for next week!

I finish this time with a quote:
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain!” ~ Vivian Greene

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