RIPPLE OF ISOLATION

I heard someone say that Christmas starts too early, and then takes you by surprise.

I know what they mean: we complain about decorations being up in shops in September, we blink past Halloween, and then suddenly it’s Christmas Day. And it seems the older you get, the faster that happens.

And now, look, it’s New Year’s Eve.

I had a complicated Christmas. I was woken at 2:20am on Christmas morning, and a set of circumstances unfolded that meant I had to sleep on my parents’ sofa - so that my oldest sister could crash in their spare room. She stayed (as I did) until the day after Boxing Day. It was really nice to see her, actually, though I was tired when I got home.

I don’t think I should go into details about why she was with us. She was though, quite likely to be carrying covid, and that made things more complicated. All the plans I had with Sammy this week evaporated into a couple of chilly, socially-distanced walks. It’s nobody’s fault - just the ripple of isolation that covid always creates around itself. It’s a glum pebble in a wobbling pond.

So it’s been okay. I built a windmill, watched a few movies, slept in late, stayed up doing jigsaw puzzles next to a glass of cherry brandy - classic Betwixtmas really.

I think next door got a new sound system for Christmas. I’m getting the cool thump of electrónica through the wall today, a kind of hollow party of drum and bass in an empty room. I guess that’s to make up for the traditional New Year’s Eve party. Hollow.

Honestly, New Year’s Eve is like an obstacle course for introverts! I’m quite thankful that the ripple-effect has rendered it more of a couch event this year. I’m not exactly in the mood for a party.

Do you think it’s inevitable that we’ll all get covid at some point? It does seem to be swirling round us like rising waters on a desert island. One in thirty five apparently. This year, three vaccinations have helped mitigate the effects of the disease, but it’s still spreading - especially with the new variants. Is it just a matter of time?

A year ago, we were heading full-steam into Lockdown 3.0, and only the most vulnerable were vaccinated. It was a strange, slightly depressing time, but there was some hope out there. Perhaps after all, if lots of us get it it will gradually boost our collective immunity and we can end this? I’m not saying I want to get it. I’d rather not. There are plenty of unvaccinated people in my world who could still have a rough time ahead, and I’d rather not worry them about it.

My sister didn’t have it, thankfully. Sammy too, has stayed clear of covid, and there are lots of answered prayers in that journey. We’re still being very cautious though, even though the ripples still split people apart. We had an okay Christmas and we’ve done our best with the complicated Betwixtmas that followed. There’s no reason to believe we can’t do the same in 2022.