Has the crisis altered your way of viewing the world?

[pollyglot]

I was just thinking, as I picked some lemons in the sunshine, how exquisitely beautiful each fruit is. Instead of being "oh, just the lemon tree", it's now a source of vital nourishment. Each fruit is to be cherished, as maybe, before too long, that Vitamin C that it gives us will be essential. Looking at my tomatoes, I felt the same. I had never thought how lovely each fruit actually is. I should explain that we live rurally, a long way from a supermarket and will be entirely dependent for the duration of our 4-week lockdown, on what we have stored, and what we can produce ourselves. I know it sounds a bit woo, but I feel like a partner with Mother Earth, carefully husbanding her bounty. Maybe it's the surreal silence. Shoot me down as a madwoman if you choose.

Erm, well, you do sound like you might need some company, OP. Are the lemons talking back to you?

I think the perspective it's given me is that the fucking stockpilers were right!

Haha maybe not as intense as your feelings OP but I am really enjoying taking my coffee outside on a morning and just listening to the birds. We have greenfinch nesting in a bush next to the house and I've seen buzzards circling 3 times this week. It certainly makes you feel closer to nature.

For me I think its made the prospect of death more a reality. I am 42 and I had always expected to have another 30+ years. I have never really thought about how vital good health is before.

See, I'd already had an awakening of sorts in October when I ended my marriage... I realised that I'd been deadened to so many things due to misery and depression. I felt as if I'd broken through the surface having been underwater and I saw, heard and felt everything in glorious technicolour. But now it's just bonkers how much I notice when so many other distractions simply aren't there. It's intense. And because this is all rather scary yet life affirming I think that for many people, finding beauty in simple things is really grounding.

But yes.. if your citrus fruits are speaking tk you then you ought to get out more. Oh, wait...

I went out and checked with the lemons whether they had actually said anything meaningful, but they didn't reply. It is indeed very grounding to focus on how beautiful nature is, without the frenetic distractions of everyday life. We live in a dark sky area, with no light pollution, and last night I sat on the veranda and just gazed at the stars. Wrapped in the silence like black velvet. It was very soothing and uplifting.

sage I get you.

Haha it's true makes u think so deeply about everything. I feel like we all human race are finally one and fighting this war against corovid-19

You have lemons??? Where are you, I will come in disguise and burgle your greenhouse, wearing protective clothing and a mask of course.

I have precisely one and a half lemons. I bought some preserved lemons in a jar which look gorgeous but am hoping to be able to buy some fresh ones before I need to plunder the jar.

Keep well.

No greenhouse lynda - and if we lived closer to you, I'd bring them over in an environmentally approved brown paper bag. (wearing protective clothing, of course). Oh, wait.
Far North of NZ is a little too far, sorry . Pity, as we have bananas rotting because we can't eat them all and have no immediate neighbours.

It's made me think nursing is essential and despite working in another area now I've contacted the hospital to try and offer some of my time ( not sure how I will fit it around my current job but)

It's made me appreciate the planet, the birds, the trees and how crap humans have become.

Sounds as though you live in a gorgeous place @pollyglot. I've never been to the Far North (hanging my head in shame). I suppose walking from Canterbury would be considered excessive exercise in these times though! Enjoy your lovely lemons.

No, it’s made me think how fucking selfish humans are. Humans are nasty and many don’t give a shit about another human being. When it comes to helping, many of us do it for the recognition. There’s very very few people who are genuine in the world.
It’s made me realise how thankful I am that I’m not a stockpiler and I trust in whatever higher force or being there is to keep my fridge and cupboards full. I’m still doing a weekly normal shop and we’ve got every thing we need minus pasta. But it’s not the end of the world.

I live in East London and we have a beautiful park it’s called Victoria park .
Because of selfish human beings this Park has been closed today .
For me this proves that we live among selfish, ignorant and fake people.

We live 2 miles from a major interstate and the traffic is a constant background noise. It’s not anymore. It’s peaceful, no planes overhead, blue jays in the trees, people walking their dogs, neighbour chatting from a distance. It’s nice.

HerRoyalNotness,
Yes it may be nice but it’s not Reality or the Norm for you is it??
Life must carry on so enjoy your peace for now .

I'm apprehensive that the crisis has changed the way the world views me.

I'm a UK immigrant from East Asia (not China) and my family and I all look Chinese. Chinese people mistake us as Chinese. Once travel restrictions are lifted I think I will be paranoid about how people will react to me as a tourist.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/24/coronavirus-us-asian-americans-racism

Pollyglot! Thanks for your reply. I guessed you didn't live here in England. Apparently you can make banana bread with over rip bananas. I never have but it sounds interesting.

Tbh it’s made me realise what vile excuses for human beings some people are 🤷🏻‍♀️

Not really.

I remain VERY distrustful of governments, big business, banks, SOME medics and SOME university research departments (not looking at anyone in particular, Imperial productive cough). Most of our politicians are even more useless than I previously thought and most of our big businesses (not all) even more selfish and money-minded. I just hope they enjoy choking on those bags of money, real or virtual, when their time comes.

I remain VERY glad that over the years I've learned how to grow things, repair some things, cobble things together and repurpose things, a bit about herbal medicine and what you can forage from nature safely. Oh, and a bit of spiritual stuff and woo to go along with the science fiction I've read a lot of in my life which is coming in VERY handy right now. Also a little basic first aid and a reasonable amount about nutrition and complementary medicine.

I always knew something like this would happen in my lifetime, I just wasn't expecting it to happen quite so suddenly. I was expecting it to be environmental, and more of a long, slow decline.

I have also learned that (some) humans are even more stupid, selfish and gullible than I would ever have believed possible, that some others are more petty and power-hungry and blindly obedient to the state for all the wrong reasons than I would previously have believed, and that still others remain kind and altruistic and helpful and sensible. I've also learned just how many people there are out there who appear incapable of linking cause and effect. Yes, in retrospect, what a splendid idea to systematically cut public services, and the NHS, including bursaries to train new nurses. And what an excellent idea to become so reliant on China for so many goods. Tremendous. Short-term thinking carried to its extreme. I'm just waiting for the "manna from heaven" command from our great and glorious leaders - if parliament EVER resumes!

I've also learned just how useful history can be. I'm not rushing forward for this first wave of NHS volunteering but I will volunteer for the 2nd or the 3rd wave. Which will come.

Already in China, apparently, some people are testing positive for COVID-19 a second time, which won't come as a surprise to anyone who's studied the Middle Ages. It can be quite interesting living with a nurse who's also a historian!!

Then again, I'm enjoying the sounds of the bird song and the astonishingly blue skies, all of a sudden. Though I have no idea what's going to happen workwise, I'm just glad between us this household has some useful skills.

Less lemons for you.

Peel the bananas and freeze them. They're great for smoothies.

Actually my view has not changed at all!

Yes
I was never particularly keen on humans but I hadn't realised quite how stupid most people are. It's boring. I hope we die out as a species quite soon.

I’ll definitely appreciate my freedom more once it’s all over

Your place sounds lovely OP 🙂

When life gives you lemons OP.

It's made me want to be more patient and kind, especially when driving but in reality I know if someone pulls out on me in the future, they will still get called a twat loudly under my breath