Strange New World

A year ago (plus two days) Margaret and I entered into the strict lockdown that the PM was urging on us. I think it wasn’t yet required; at least it wasn’t the two days before, when Margaret went on an overnight field visit for her research project. 18 March, though, marks the beginning of our island of isolation — intensified by my having been on study leave for the term, so that I didn’t have even digital contact with the people I ordinarily live, teach, study, eat, and pray among.

Next term will — barring surprise changes from the government, which is comparable to saying ‘barring grey rainy days in Oxford’ — be taught in person. We’ll be wearing masks and sanitising our hands, of course, but it will once again be a living, praying, teaching community. That will be intensely restorative to me — the flatland of 2D screen interaction drains me of vitality. Zoom doesn’t afflict me with headaches, but stupefies me.

Well, That’s Something New

Two new things today: the good news is that I received my notification from the NHS that they’re inoculating my age group for COVID, so if I can survive till next Monday, and then a few weeks for the effectiveness to peak, I’ll be protected from the new plague, whew!

The less satisfactory new thing concerns somebody who admires me so much that they’re pretending to be me on Instagram and possibly Facebook also. I’m following up, reporting, deleting, etc. but this is an annoyance. I haven’t asked anyone for money for a long time, though, so if you received such an appeal from me, it probably was not in fact from me, but this grifter. (I gather that a former president hasn’t stopped fund-raising so maybe someone from his organisation…)