While her own restrictions pale in comparison to others’ hardships, Tessa Waugh rues the days she cut the postman’s banter short as she yearns for just 10 minutes of idle chatter
We’re all slowly adapting to “the new normal” as people keep calling it. Our horizons have shrunk to a pin prick (the immediate precincts of the farm) and hanging with the family is what we do ad infinitum: a bit like a domestic version of Groundhog Day, with one day looking very much like the other. It will change all of us this time (I try not think about how long it will go on), and two weeks in, I’m already noticing differences.
Neil the postman, or more accurately my reaction to Neil the postman, is the first big change. He’s a lovely guy, the type who will do anything for anyone, but pre-coronavirus I didn’t always welcome his friendly chat. I hope I wasn’t rude, but the truth is I probably was.
{"content":"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"}