Rolling Through

I know this sounds like a weird thing to say, but, in my personal circumstances, I found the most recent COVID lockdown quite inclusive. 

I’d had a job for a few weeks when the lockdown hit.  It wasn’t one that was hard to do at home, so I adjusted to that ok.  I wasn’t too surprised, though I was disappointed, to lose it a few weeks in.  It was casual after all.  Losing hours did mean that the government considered me deserving of an extra payment on top of JobSeeker.  It was appalling that others on welfare didn’t receive a similar boost.  After all, everyone was vulnerable to extra expenses, but this time, I was one of the lucky ones.

During this lockdown, my husband was off work too.  Last time, he’d kept working.  The fact that I no longer needed to work at home at least meant that he didn’t have to fit in with my job.  We could talk when we felt like it, read books, web surf, have long phone chats with friends, whatever.  He could even play concertina (yes, he does), so long as we obeyed the stay-at-home orders.  We had each other for company.  Of course, we both missed seeing our mates in person, and sometimes seeing a bit less of each other would’ve been appreciated, but in many ways, it was like a stay at home holiday for me.   

Job search requirements (normally mandatory) were cancelled during the lockdown.  That was a huge relief.  I’ve had very long periods of unemployment, particularly since becoming a wheelchair user.  Although the government has deemed that I can and must work, the real-life situations offering work I can do better than my competition, in an accessible workplace, are few indeed.   Mostly it’s endless applications, few interviews and a lot of rejection to deal with.  It is soul-crushing.  Being able to ignore all that for a while was fabulous!

Unemployment always means staying at home a lot. 

Unemployment means a very limited social life, unless your friends are willing to shout.  It means having to admit to being on a tight budget if people ask you to social events – because even if you have some savings, spending them is scary without a light at the end of the tunnel.  It’s embarrassing and depressing to see everyone around you going out and having fun while you try to save your resources, just in case. 

In lockdown, NO ONE could go to pubs or cafes.  NO ONE was going to the cinema or going on holidays.  During lockdown, not going out was normal, even commendable.  During lockdown, buying a take-away coffee became a huge treat for everyone, not just those of us on low incomes.

The fact that no one was going anywhere much also made me less physically excluded.  Meetings, concerts and social events all happened via video conferencing.  I didn’t have to check for accessible transport or accessible venues.  If someone invited me to an event, all I had to do was decide whether I wanted to go, not work out whether it was possible.  I don’t love video-conferencing, but it definitely has its advantages.

The one place we were allowed to go to relax a bit during lockdown was the park.  I live near a beautiful park with lots of native plants and good pathways.  There are quite a few apartments in the area, so it’s generally a popular spot especially with dog owners.  During lockdown, with everyone barred from their usual social spaces, it became THE place.  It filled up so much that I made an effort to go at what I thought might be quieter times.  It’s not often that a space that works for me is the place of choice for everyone else too!

Since the end of lockdown, I’ve definitely enjoyed seeing friends again and being shouted dinner at the pub.  It’s nice that the park is a bit quieter and, for now, I’m working on a different employment strategy, which might work better than other options.  I know a lot of people found lockdown really tough and I’m happy for them that it’s over. The current normal has a lot going for it but, for me, lockdown had quite a few bright spots.

What was your experience? Leave a comment.

If you appreciate this article and want to support Rolling Through, please, give it a Like, and share it on social media. You can also visit my Home page to subscribe for email updates and donate to keep me rolling!