Joanne Oakley
IT is now the third week of the most draconian lockdown in Spanish history and the army is on the streets.
Everyone is wondering how much longer it will last, praying that April 11 will be our last day of confinement.
Then there is fear of uncertainty, the fear for our loved ones, fear for our jobs, and fear for the future and what the fallout of this unprecedented crisis will hold.
Yet amid this period of alarm, there is an incredible sense of togetherness.
All around the country locals are trying to stay positive by joining together each evening at 8pm to applaud the nurses, doctors and police working hard on the frontline to keep us all safe.
Meanwhile we are sharing tips and tricks to stay busy and sane…and sending out hilarious videos and memes.
Above all, we are trying to use the time wisely (and remember we may never have anything like this again) as we search for positives, such as a much necessary drop in air pollution and fewer road deaths.
With the army and police halting movement, it is a time to sit back and hope that the governments of Europe have the people’s best interests at play.
We must trust that they really believe that these extreme restrictions will lead to results.
So sit back and enjoy the sound of birds and bees in the garden, the chance to play with the kids and to improve your Spanish, and remember – once this is all over, and it WILL be over sometime soon – we will get back to normal and enjoy our lives as we did before.
It may, of course, take some time for people to want to submerge themselves back into crowds or get back on a plane, but as seen in the 80s blockbuster JAWS, eventually we all go back into the water!
