So, hi, this is a post about the dreaded COVID-19…but first a disclaimer!
I understand that everyone is in the same boat when it comes to this fucking virus and people are in a worse situation than I am but I just need to vent. This seems like the best platform to do just that on as people choose to click on the post whereas if I post my rants on socials then people have no choice other than to see them whilst scrolling. I am hoping that getting out all my thoughts about it will calm me down a little but we will see.
This post is going to include some corona memes just because why not. None of these are my creation.
Where to begin?
I am someone who perhaps some may think haven’t taken this whole thing seriously. Whenever people would talk about the virus over the past few weeks I would make comments dumbing it down or making myself seem unbothered when actually that was a sort of coping mechanism. Behind the scenes I have been constantly thinking of the implications of this virus whilst practically bathing in hand sanitiser.
Although I am not someone who has gone to the shops to stockpile (people need to stop being so selfish and chill the fuck down) and I believe that the media haven’t helped the situation by scaremongering; it is important to take it seriously but also keep calm.
I’ve got to be wary also as an asthmatic. The virus essentially gives you a bad chest and if your chest already doesn’t function at 100% it puts you more at risk. So yeah that has been playing at the back of my mind a lot. Yesterday I picked up some new inhalers to prepare for the circumstances of getting corona and having to self-isolate.
Although these thoughts aren’t fun and are a bit scary I am more worried for other people in my life than myself. Especially my grandparents, and we have a newborn baby in the family too…plus I have friends very close to me who have low immunity because of somewhat major underlying health conditions. All these people are continually in my thoughts. We’ve just got to hope that this doesn’t get to them and if it does they get treated.
The situation I am in is that literally the majority of elements in my life have stopped. This is not only inconvenient and annoying but also worrying because at what point do you tip over the edge mentally?
Working at arenas means that my job has essentially gone. Financially that is pretty scary. When I had the realisation a fortnight ago that I won’t have an income I panicked but since then I have calmed down because I can live without one as I live at home. It will still have an affect on me but I will just have to be more careful with what I have. The entire planet is going to be in some sort of economic crisis once this is all over and that will be the next challenge we have to face, not only as a country but as a race.
Yesterday, my university gave in and announced that lectures have to all be online learning only. I have no idea at this stage how this is going to work. I am pretty sure this module – which is my final module of the year – is a pretty practical one so we are definitely more limited working from home.
Uni life for me has finally been going well after the garbage course I was on last year at a different university. I have been doing well and been enjoying it at the same time. When life is finally going okay for the first time in forever some dickhead had to eat a bat (who the fuck does that) and start a global pandemic.
Moving away from the more work side of life, the rest of my life tends to involve either gigging or sports. I love sport. My weekends tend to involve me watching a fair bit of it on the telly. Football, yes, cricket, I love and the formula one was about to kickstart again. All of that gone in a matter of days was incredibly upsetting. I love watching sport to unwind so now that it is gone it is very unsettling.
The cricket domestic season is due to start next month and right now no one knows what is going to happen with it. I was so excited to go back to Edgbaston, one of my favourite places in the world, to sit in the cold with a cup of tea to watch my team hopefully… maybe… do alright.
And then there is the gig side of life. Postponement and cancellations fill my calendar right now – I definitely picked the wrong year to try and do a gig a week!
This week I was meant to be seeing my faves, Calva Louise, in Birmingham but that is now gone whilst next week I was due to take my sister to see Blossoms. With no end date with all this it is difficult to make future plans concerning my gig calendar. It is so hard. This is my selfish opinion of it. In broader terms this is only going to massively effect artists and gig venues.
I am so glad that my two Christmas presents were cricket membership for the season and a ticket for a Kaiser Chiefs show in May. That was a great choice. Well done Mae.
Now we get onto the section about what the fuck are we meant to do about future plans?
Once university breaks for Easter that was the end of the year for me. No more university until September. For this reason, I have so many mini breaks planned over April and May. Here is a brief breakdown:
- Mid April – Scotland
- End of April – Manchester (21st Birthday present)
- Beginning of May – Leeds (for Live At Leeds)
- Mid May – Leeds
- End of May – Wales (for Kaiser Chiefs)
I will be losing money. For my Live At Leeds and Wales trip I can cancel the accommodation and get a full refund but only up to a certain date. This means I am constantly thinking about if this is going to be possible. If the government just made a decision about events like every other country in Europe then perhaps this decision would be easier. If events get cancelled then people could quickly work to get money back and at this time every penny is valuable.
Not even looking at the financial side now, but if any of these trips get screwed about because of this virus I will be incredibly upset. However this is likely. Some of those trips have been planned for ages and I was looking forward to doing all this fun stuff after university had finished for the year.
There are more events past May that could be affected but at this point I am only thinking so far ahead in the future. My brain will explode otherwise.
I think I am on a short fuse. Emails from work and uni about working from home are starting to piss me off – especially when for my job it is impossible to work from home. So that’s helpful.
In all honesty this whole thing is going to be one big total mind fuck. All that progress with my mental health is going to disappear and I just need to be ready for that.
I think the only positives will be that people will finally wash their hands properly (like well done for getting your badge for personal hygiene) and people are being incredibly supportive of one and other.
Although this has brought out the not-so-good in some people (pissing panic buyers) I also feel like there has been some good. People trying to support the elderly, local schemes to try and help those in self-isolation and, on a personal note, I have had people reach out to me in my DMs to see if I am good. There is a lot of love about – we’ve just got to stay a safe distance from one and other! Ha ha.
So I don’t know what the future holds. There is a lot of uncertainty right now. We have to hold onto any sort of positives which get presented to us and try and look out for one and other.
Without trying not to break out in song I want to say that we are all in this together.
Talk soon,
M x
Music, Drums and Me 