Behind the mask

I shopped wearing a scarf over my face for the first time today. I was almost deafened by the sound of my principles hitting the floor as I entered the shop... it did not sit well with me. Having my face covered felt completely alien and unnatural – I raced round the store like Usain Bolt, I couldn’t wait to get outside and feel fresh air again. Of course, some people might say not having to see my face is a positive improvement. I’d probably agree.

Well, it is what it is. As stated, I’ve drawn my line – shopping for anything other than food (plus essential visits to GP, dentist or hospital, obviously) is not going to happen. If it goes on for months and months and the High St dies in the meantime… so be it. I’ll manage.

Incidentally, I’m convinced we’ll have another complete lockdown this winter – it won’t be needed, but then neither was this one...

In the news, Boris is now saying overweight people all need to lose weight in order to avoid revealing quite how useless the NHS is. Well, he didn’t use those exact words but that was the general thrust of the message – once again it’s all about taking pressure off the bloody NHS. To help you with this weight loss you may be prescribed cycling (ye gods!) and he’s going to ban “junk food” advertising and BOGOF deals on “unhealthy” food.

So, what exactly is junk or unhealthy food? Good question. It’s one I pondered nearly eight years ago when I wrote this. Nothing changes, does it?  There’s no such thing as unhealthy food in my opinion, just unhealthy amounts of food. Eat whatever you like, but don’t eat as much as you like. Simple. One suggestion – maybe a fat bloke isn’t the best person to lecture others about losing weight?

Any other rules and regulations he dreams up, he can shove… sideways. None of it’s consistent or necessary, anyway – I’m not going along with any more of this crap.

Boris is clearly intelligent and I always used to think he was a decent chap, but his handling of Covid has proved otherwise. He’s treated it like a financial admin exercise but it’s so much more than that. The ill-thought-out rules have never taken people’s everyday lives or mental health into account – some poor souls will never recover and still it continues. Difficult to know where it’ll end, to be honest.

The only rule still in place which particularly affects me is the draconian and inhuman edict not to hug your family. If it was only about me, I’d never have stopped, but it isn’t… other people have to be considered; I’m ready to hug the Troops whenever they’re ready – but they have to feel comfortable with it too. As soon as my son says “Sod this, enough’s enough” I’ll be all over them like a rash!

The porridge (OK... oats) crop growing in the field has been harvested! They snuck in over the weekend while I wasn’t watching and all that’s left is a field of stubble. I never even got to go round with my bowl and spoon… Maybe next year.