I forgot it was my fathers birthday at the beginning of this week, or perhaps I should say I momentarily overlooked it.
Ever since lockdown started back in March I’ve been calling him regularly to see how he is and when I did on Monday it went to answerphone so I left a message. I didn’t think any more about it until he called me that evening, during our conversation he said a friend had treated him to lunch. It was only when he also mentioned the present they’d given him that alarm bells went off in my head and I realised what I’d done. Thank goodness for next day Amazon deliveries.
It’s not that I wasn’t aware of his birthday coming up, just that as with so many things recently I was a bit vague about the details. For me, that pretty much sums up 2020.
March feels like an eternity ago, the coronavirus restrictions feel endless and in all likelihood are going to get tighter over the winter. At the same time weeks blend into each other and it’s a struggle to remember which month it is. Never mind which week or day. Then, of course, the clocks change tomorrow night, heralding the darker evenings.
The overriding thing I hear from people I speak to, although like everyone my social circle has shrunk dramatically, is they miss spontaneity and things to look forward to. With nothing outside of the norm happening it’s horribly easy to slip into a state of torpor.
So I’ve given myself a good talking to this week. Just because it’s the norm doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. When I was stuck in an office job which bored me witless I always said I needed more time to do other things. Well now I have that time and it’s up to me to use it. So expect more baking, more blogging and hopefully no more overlooked birthdays.
p.s We’re going to see my dad next week and I’ll make sure he gets a belated birthday cake.
David in the kitchen. 
I hear you on the whole thing, David. I am so lost in the days/date. There doesn’t seem to be a point in keeping track of any of it. I think it will be a very long, very dark winter. In the way that you depend on cooking to boost your spirits , I depend on long, often strenuous bicycle rides to carry me through these days of isolation. Regrettably I crashed my bicycle one week ago today and have really plunged into the abyss. I thoroughly smashed my left shoulder, elbow, ribs and knee but it could have been much, much worse. Now my world is even smaller but I have lots to read and some writing and painting ideas. I just have to keep reminding myself that rest matters. I’m not a bid social person but I miss just seeing people here and there. I guess I need to be satisfied , for now, with virtual connections?
I am dreading that time change which used to come right about this weekend but now comes the first Sunday in November – Nov 7 this year. And then the countdown to Dec 21 when the sun begins its long journey back. YAY!
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I’m sorry to hear about your accident and hope that recovery doesn’t take too long,
We had a couple of months where things slowly started to open up in the UK, but with winter looming that has all gone into reverse now.
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