Opening video by the talented South African videographer Faizel Walls. Connect with him on Instagram (@wallsgrapher) for enquiries and projects.
A month ago, South Africa’s president announced a 21-day lockdown for our country – as a response to the growing Coronavirus threat. Although life was still fairly normal – other than a few social distancing regulations that had come in a week earlier – there was a growing shadow of fear. His words cemented the reality, setting off an unprecedented panic as we prepared for an event alien to almost all of us.
Although we didn’t know what the future held, in my mind, it seemed that we would run these 21 days – or a not-too-long extended period beyond that – then life would somehow return to the way it was, albeit with some safety restrictions in place.
I didn’t want to believe that the drastic changes of lockdown – or a high degree of those conditions – would be the permanent state of affairs for a year or more afterwards.
Yet, looking at the government’s possible plans for the foreseeable future, it seems that even the gradual easing of restrictions still won’t return life to ‘normal’. The reality is sinking in.
House arrest
We’re now in our fourth week of a ‘hard lockdown’, with one more week to follow – unless another extension is announced.
It’s been strange – being almost totally confined to the home environment, leaving only for essential purposes. I would consider myself a homebody, so this wouldn’t usually be an issue. But when it’s forced on you, human nature dictates that you want to rebel, because you want to do things by choice and not compulsion.
I would love to be out of the house – hiking, running, or just being in nature; and being self-accountable for social distancing (which I was entirely comfortable with long before it became mandatory). But it’s just not possible. Our government regulations don’t even allow us to exercise out of our homes – unlike the more reasonable UK rules.
But we do our best, I suppose.
Easy does it
Being connected to the rest of the world, it’s been interesting to see the various reactions people have had to being locked down. Of course, the tragedy of poverty has been exacerbated for many – especially here in Africa. Others – who aren’t under such severe strain and suddenly have way more free time – have made light of it and upped their entertainment input tremendously. And then there are those who frame this period romantically, seeing the many positives to have come out of a forced slowdown of life.
I don’t fall into any of those categories.
As someone who works in the IT field, my work is easily done from home. And my job didn’t slow down. On the contrary, in the early weeks, it intensified significantly – which was stressful. Home has always been a safe haven – a refuge from the concerns of the working environment. Yet, work had now invaded my personal space and time – sometimes even requiring after hours tasks (which I have managed to avoid for almost my entire working life).
That psychological tension translated into tremendous physical strain on my back – especially since I had to make do with a makeshift workspace that doesn’t include the ergonomic comforts of a proper office.
And while I tried to stringently keep to my working hours (by volume), I eventually gave that up – adopting a far more flexible approach that is based around actual productivity – rather than factory-like clocking in of hours. (And yes, I still get the work done.)
I learned to go easier on myself. To give my own mental well-being a higher priority. Because, while I’m grateful to still have a job (while so many others are in limbo or have lost theirs), one cannot expect to simply substitute a few factors and retain normal working productivity.
Life is not normal anymore. “Normal” is a theoretical construct…a soon-to-be distant memory from a different lifetime.
On the plus side, my new ‘office’ has a way better view than my old one. And my mini ‘colleagues’ are more entertaining than those at work – although the screaming and fighting is something I could live without 🙂
I also enjoy occasionally hanging washing during my breaks (it’s always been a relaxing task); but the never-ending dishes and cleaning (particularly with kids like mine) is less appealing.
Write on
In terms of creative output, I work almost exclusively on inspiration. I don’t like to force anything out. And, given the pressure I felt in the early weeks, I didn’t think I’d produce much at all. Thankfully, I was proven wrong, and I’m pleased with the few bits of writing that have emerged in recent weeks.
It’s also been a fairly good period in terms of older work being published. I worked on a story for a children’s podcast last year, and it was finally published a few weeks ago:
I contributed two poems to a South African anthology quite a while back. After many delays on the publisher’s side, the book was finally published – albeit in electronic form only (until physical is possible again after lockdown).
And I was recently interviewed about my book – my first ever live video interview. Given that I avoid the spotlight, and strive to keep pictures of myself out of public view (not because I feel I’m hideous ;)….I just don’t want my pictures out there), it was a huge leap forward. But the host was good, so it wasn’t as awkward as it could have been – given my conversational deficiencies.
I’ve also spent a little time doodling, with the wonders of technology allowing me to produce something way more interesting than my hand drawn ‘art’ – which, for most of my life, has been confined to stick figures:
Stepping up
All in all, it’s been an interesting few weeks. And with Ramadaan on our doorstep, it promises to be even more interesting. This will be a unique experience for Muslims all over the world, as we enter the month-long fast without the ability to hold physical community gatherings – either in the night prayers or breaking fast with family and friends.
But despite the limitations, there are always benefits. Without the social gatherings, we will hopefully have more time for intense personal spirituality. For those interested in delving deeper into self-improvement, check out this year’s AccidentalMuslims.com Ramadaan Development Plan:
And if you’re not Muslim, but want to see what Ramadaan fasting is like, give it a try. You can let me know how you’re doing in the comments below, or via email if you’d prefer to remain private.
Stay safe and sane
Wherever you are in the world, and whatever your next few weeks will look like, I hope that you’ll stay safe, nourish your own inner world, and ride out these stormy times as best you can.
Be kind to yourself, and others; take breaks when you need to; and don’t compare yourself to anyone else in terms of how they are coping (or thriving) in these times.
slip-sliding away..... 