White rabbits!

So it’s the 1st of March – almost Spring, and I’m lucky enough to have enjoyed some almost-Spring sunshine today as well with a surprise encounter with the local white rabbit who was busy taking selfies in the High Street. Despite some struggles with his smartphone, he paused to wave at me. It was a good start to the day.

Like many people, I’m missing encounters with other humans during lockdown. I always thought of myself as a solitary type – and I can indeed be happy alone. But while I don’t crave parties or big social events I do miss the opportunity of casually chatting to friends and strangers – of feeling I have some small presence in the world.

I’ve learnt the new lockdown skills: wearing a mask, stepping courteously out of the way when someone approaches, turning my back politely to avoid breathing the same air as another human, changing direction so as not to come to close to another shopper in the supermarket. I hope these rejections of closeness are read as polite manoeuvres and not as the insults they would have been in pre-pandemic days.

But this morning I twice went out maskless. The High Street was almost empty so it seemed sufficient to keep my mask to hand in my bag – and what a luxury it was to feel the chill of March on my face and to smell the scents of the local Common as well as hearing birds singing, the beat of their wings and the rapid scurry of squirrels as they chased above me.

Out on the Common it’s also possible to talk to people. The greeting “Nice day” seems weighted with significance while remarks on dogs – “She’s a lively one,” “Oh good boy!” etc. – are preludes to what might almost be termed a conversation, held at a social distance, of course, and entirely about the conduct or misconduct or dogs. Some dogs seem to know about distancing too – or perhaps they’re just filled with delight at the glorious muddy stink of the earth and the hope of finding a rat or rabbit.

I’ve been on the Common twice this morning – once for a pre-breakfast amble and once as part of an exciting journey to Lidl (though I was sufficiently laden to catch the bus for the short trip back). And it did seem quite thrilling as I picked my way through the abandoned graveyard, grateful that the worst of the brambles had been cut back. But there was no conversation at Lidl, just a friendly wave forward when I reached the front of the queue and the chance to say thank you through my mask as I loaded my bag at the checkout.

But it feels as though it has been a good and busy day, filled with encounters. I even checked some proofs that arrived this morning (for a pamphlet of poems, due soon from Leafe Press), sent some emails and had a Zoom call so that I could be DBS-checked as a volunteer for a local project. My partner also made breakfast for me – and he’s just offered me a cup of tea, which makes this a good point at which to draw this blogpost to an end.

I hope your day is going at least as well as mine.