Carolyn's journal 1

For the next few days, when you leave your household and interact with others, try to notice a) what precautions you take b) what you worry about c) how your behaviour is different to before COVID19

I wear a mask while shopping or doing anything else in close proximity to others. Otherwise I don’t take precautions apart from washing my hands a lot. I’m travelling on a bike, so that feels quite safe. My children don’t allow me to hug my grandchildren, although I’m going to make a pitch for a few hugs before they go back to school/nursery.

I don’t worry about Covid – I think both my daughters have had it, and as we are all pretty well staying at home, not many opportunities for them and the children to catch it. Once the children go back to school/nursery, I will be more cautious, but not for me so much as for other people. I do worry about the large number of people not wearing masks while shopping or on public transport, as I do believe that wearing a mask has a significant impact on your ability to infect others.

The main changes in behaviour are the obvious ones – never having a meal I didn’t cook myself, not being able to meet for a coffee, not being able to hang out with family, not being able to visit a friend in prison or put my bike on a train for a ride/swim in the country. However, I’m surprised how well Quaker Meeting for Worship and Pilates and meetings work on zoom, singing lessons on Facetime less so.