We are now on Day Three - 18th March - of the Spanish lockdown to try and control this extraordinary situation. From early warnings and recommended isolation to full lockdown on Monday.
Last week the supermarket shelves were emptying rapidly, people were panic buying and not bothered at all about keeping their distance from one another but intent on filling their trolleys at the expense of others who weren't really aware or not going down that road. Toilet rolls were non existent on each of my brief visits. My office is less than one minute walk so I tended to pop in frequently rather than do a once a week shop as I did before working so close.
Yesterday I ventured out for the first time in four days. It felt weird and surreal. I felt naughty and a little anxious, Police, Guardia Civil and UME the emergency medical unit patrols were everywhere and yet Jaen province has very few cases in comparison to the some of Andalucia's provinces and Andalucia few compared to the rest of Spain. My usual supermarket was only allowing around one-third of the normal amount of cars into the car park. Having waited to get in, the ticket machine saying 'car park full', I was amazed at the amount of empty parking spaces. It wasn't until I walked into the supermarket and saw the yellow and black hazard tape at the check outs marking the closeness one should get to the customer in front that I twigged, less customers, less contamination!?!
I've visited more chat rooms, followed Spanish news and basically soaked up a load of 'news' in the last three days which for the last 24 years of living in rural Spain I'd really given up on following due to its constant depressive nature. I find myself trying to make sense of this lockdown in Spain and the lack of response in the UK.
I follow links, charts, I read comments, listen to politicians and while I am following the instructions I just feel nobody, no one person has a clue what is happening, why it is happening, knows how to deal with it and us, little ol' me and my family just go along with it as is the whole country (except the idiots who are here on holiday and ignoring it all.)
All that is going on just shows me how much we are not in control. 'We' like to think that us humans have the knowledge and the power to do what we want. How not true is that right now?
So where does that leave us? Looking around the globe, via the internet of course, it appears that fear rules far more than us having control. From global warming to Brexit to this greater, larger outside event lives are controlled, then the masses are ruled either by fear or by ignorance.
Where are you in this life changing event? What rules your actions? Fear? Ignorance? Knowledge? Faith?
And our reactions are very real and for the events that are happening now. What the future will bring is another unknown. It won't be the same. Will we learn any lessons from this? Will we perhaps be a little more humble and admit we are not Superman, we are not in control and we can not control, direct or change what happens.
My little rant is over, if I put it down on pen and paper it will be swallowed up with life's busyness. Actually day three was so much better than day one and to be honest I am looking forward to another day of no plans, I don't ever remember feeling like that before. I liked being in control and controlling. I'm beginning to relax, go with the flow and know that I am not in control of anything, but beginning to lean on the one who is.
Lockdown in Spain Part 2
Read my article for B-C-ing-U
Rachel's Wanderings in Spain has Become Rachel's Stay at Home