We need to "reimagine time and space", I heard this the other day in relation to lockdowns.
Melbourne is having its fifth lockdown, that is five times to the supermarket for the trolley fill, five times to think about how you can occupy time and the fifth opportunity to find new corners of your home to explore again.
Once upon a time our home was a place to base yourself, to make quick exits to the office or to redecorate according to new fads. We went on holidays and by the last day,longed for our own beds. In these new times, I long for hotel bleached white sheets and looking at a different set of walls.
Now the home has to be multipurpose,ours is an office, art studio, and living place. For many the gym has moved in, along with the classroom,nursery or small business. The four by two or semi may have to evolve, spare bedroom becomes office, shed has potential to be a garden room. Going on holiday has been replaced with remodeling the courtyard.
I am curious about what reopening and travelling will look like, will we all make a mad exodus for the departure lounge, or opt for staycations ? Will Airbnb thrive or hotels, my money is on Airbnb. Lots of things will look a bit different, it's easy to compare bar prices to the freebie home wines. I am finding if the service is poor, I quickly think what's the point?
The human ability to adapt is fascinating, we are all zooming 9 to 5, but once the chance to have a meeting in the office returns, what will happen ? I think it will be a mix of both. The long battle for flexitime and working from home has been won, the studies will show if productivity grew or retracted. I'm guessing productivity has grown, but we humans are a social bunch and for many going to work was attractive as there were chances to interact. I will be more interested in the studies about mental health and how we are all faring.
Reimaging time is a tricky one, the other day I thought about how the days seemed long, but January seems like a blink away. We are eighteen months into this pandemic, yet there is a feeling of stagnation. A bit like pond water, it is not moving much, but there is lots going on under the surface. I thought, like others this was the scourge of 2020 and I welcomed in the new year with enthusiasm, I was so sure it would be all over by March, but it's not. I am now realising that we will be living with Covid for a lot longer and it means giving in. Reimagining time and space for a new type of life,relishing the holidays when they happen, setting up spaces at home to accomodate this new way of living and giving up on a return to a past life.
I also heard that one byproduct of this new life is the new feeling that if you don't want to do something, the excuse making or old thought process of thinking of how to get out of it is gone. People are now just saying no, I'm not doing that. I guess it is because
we have all had the long periods of restriction and freedom needs to be exactly that freeing. Time is suddenly even more precious, we can't take for granted whats happening because, well not much is happening. Certainly here in cold Melbourne, not much is happening at all, the diary is empty and its not going to be filled with things you do for the sake of it. As the weather warms, the optimism grows because this virus doesn't seem to like the heat, it is safer to meet outside. The outdoor eating and drinking that was a temporary scene last summer will be developed into a more sophisticated set up. The French have always valued the "terrace" and do it so well, I am looking forward to watching Melbourne grow its alleyways, fill the outdoor areas with seating and reimagine time and space this Summer.