A new era begins

I’ve emerged from lockdown with a new appreciation of how lucky I am. Kiwis have been united in our determination to fight this virus which threatened to destroy everything we have known both locally and globally. And we’ve succeeded. I am grateful. I wish to thank all the front line workers, the people who stayed home to keep us safe, our scientists, health experts and the leaders who guided us through these scary times. Thank you one and all.

I hope I’m not being too naive in my wish that the inadvertent gains we saw come about as a result of the lockdown will not be lost. Cleaner air, clearer oceans and streams, more people out walking, less cars, less rush and bustle, more kindness. It would be nice to see less greed in this world, less speed, less of ‘me’ and, more importantly, see new ways of living on this earth so she can support us for longer.

I understand there have been people struggling with the isolation, that some businesses may not survive, that life could change for good for some, and I don’t wish to take anything away from their suffering. But we humans are resilient by nature. We will find new ways to do business, learn new skills through technology (some of us already have), we will switch away from fossil fuels to more sustainable ways of living and the earth will thank us. We will survive and thrive.

When New Zealand went into lock down nearly five weeks ago, I wondered what life would be like. As it turns out, for me, not a lot changed. I’m a stay at home girl anyway and when I’m writing the hours simply disappear.
I’ve enjoyed experimenting with new recipes to use what I had in the cupboard when getting a grocery delivery was a week away. I’ve read (a lot), I’ve walked, I’ve researched and I’ve written. We are making history as it happens. This time period will appear in my next novel. It fits.
(Watch this space for news of my upcoming novel)

As we come out of lockdown, what I will do is shop local. I will visit my local fish shop, butcher, greengrocer and eateries. I will buy locally made products. I will do my bit to help the changes heading our way. I already walk to my hairdresser (and I really do need to see her soon) and instead of travelling overseas we will visit our own country. We will hit all the high spots and hidden away spots, we will buy local, we will eat local, we will support our Kiwi entrepreneurs. I hope you can, too.