BEST OF 2021: What I've learned from lockdown 2.0

Year in Review: Region Media is revisiting some of the best Opinion articles of 2021. Here’s what got you talking, got you angry and got you thinking in 2021. Today, Kim Treasure reveals some home truths.

One of the few good things about the current pandemic is how it teaches you so much about yourself.

For instance, in lockdown 2.0 I’ve discovered that it’s not that I don’t have enough time to do the housework, I simply don’t have the will. I can be locked down 24-hours a day and still find ways to avoid folding the washing.

Those windows that need cleaning? What’s another couple of years?

Then there’s my feelings about work. You know what. Seems I actually love going to the office.

Sure, we are just as efficient working from home in our PJs, and I don’t miss the two and a half hour commute, but I do miss those crazy heads and the banter and buzz that comes from working with a bunch of smart, driven, talented individuals.

And my shopping habits. Well, check-ins show I spend an inordinate amount of time at PetStock and far too little actually buying people food. Guess that explains why I eat so much canned tuna.

My “panic buy” in lockdown 1.0 was a horse. In lockdown 2.0, so far, it’s been a new saddle – detecting a theme?

Others I know have lashed out on new wetsuits, air-fryers, bread-making machines and garden supplies – we seem to be reconnecting with the simple things that make us happy. Outdoor activities, cooking, and gardening rather than clothes and other possessions.

There are other good things that have come out of lockdown too. Some say the pressure to be everywhere and do everything is now off. You don’t have to make up an excuse not to go somewhere, or drag yourself to a social event when you are feeling tired and rundown. There’s an opportunity to recharge and reassess.

And there’s a lot to be thankful for. For most Australians, our homes are our sanctuaries. We can’t even begin to imagine the horror that is Afghanistan, where people don’t feel safe at home and face daily dangers that surpass even a deadly virus.

We have the luxury of missing the little things – the freedom to visit friends, go out for dinner, enjoy a weekend away.

In terms of travel, I reckon it will be surprising where we will want to go when life returns to its new normal. Instead of the bucket-list trip to some exotic destination, I bet many of those poor bastards facing at least nine weeks of lockdown in the greater Sydney area are dreaming of heading out for a haircut or even an eyebrow wax.

For me, it will be a trip to Cowra and reconnecting with my family.

I miss my Mum.

I miss my Mum, Dad and my eldest daughter, Zoe.

Sure, I didn’t see them as often as I would have liked before COVID-19, but the option was always there. Now it’s all phone calls and wondering when we will catch up for proper hugs.

Please don’t think I’m complaining. I know only too well how lucky I am to be “locked down” on a piece of land with all my animals, most of my children and my granddaughter, but COVID-19 gives you plenty of time to think.

So I’m wondering, what has lockdown taught you about yourself?

Original Article published by Kim Treasure on The RiotACT.