What A Difference A Year Makes...

 

So on my evening walk yesterday I mooched along past the bus stop outside St Stephens Church on the Chatham Maidstone Road looking for what's left of the Covid-19 bus stop signage. Most of the painted signs, like the above, have long since begun to chip and fade away. Should probably have snapped them much earlier on, along when I did the other signage, for prosperity. Now their tiredness reflects our mental state I think having dealt with the varied restrictions on daily life from this pandemic since March 2020.

At least now we are in a much stronger position and seem to have the upper hand, mostly, as it were. News stories regarding global enquiries make for depressing reading in that there is much criticism aimed at the World Health Organisation and governments for not acting sooner in order to prevent the spread and the subsequent deaths. Cold comfort for those bereaved families who have lost their loved ones to the virus. I'm sure that in Spring 2022 when the UK is supposed to be holding it's own independent enquiry there will be similar blame laid. Don't get me wrong, I think the vaccine rollout has surpassed most people's expectations and the fact that we have vaccines at all seems like a miracle given that the talk of vaccines last year seemed like nothing more than wishful thinking. But those successes are more down to the scientists, NHS staff & jab volunteers than the government per se. Although they have obviously dug into deep pockets to fund such things.

With any luck, come 2022 these hurriedly painted signs will have worn away completely with no need to follow up with a refreshed paint job. The red Covid-19 signs will be taken down and we can all collectively give a huge sigh of relief and move on with our lives again. Social distancing will cease to be an everyday phrase and our face coverings can be relegated to the back of the wardrobe ;-) I for one won't miss having to dance around strangers on the street just to protect my personal space, although equally at the moment I cannot imagine being in a crowded place, surrounded by strangers closer than 2m away. The fear this virus has instilled in people will be a long time dispersing...