I cannot remember what life was like

I don't remember what life was like before the pandemic. I see these pictures of us gathering in groups of more than 5 at a restaurant, no sign of masks, no worry lines, no discussion of vaccination. The term TraceTogether wasn't even invented yet and the concept of checking in to a place was something you would only do on Facebook.

Celebrating Nigel's birthday - March 2020

And here we are now - 18 months later and we live in a whole new world of rules, processes and fears. Tables are pushed apart, chairs removed and masking tape indicates where you can or cannot sit.

We ate at Tuk Tuk Cha again today and I think we (Celest and I) sat at the same table!

But over 18 months, it did happen gradually. The new norm slowly ate into our subconscious, taking charge of our lives, days and nights. Sometimes I look back wondering when it all started, how we got used to something so unnatural like wearing a mask in such a short period of time, how spending a whole day sitting at home in shorts in front of your screen is how we now work.

A whole lifetime has gone by these two years and yet March 2020 seems like yesterday. But I can't remember what life was like before this pandemic began. It's a distant memory I have mistaken for a dream, or a movie I saw, or a book I read, that I confused for something real.