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Hello to whomsoever is reading or listening to this blog, written during week three of COVID-19 slash “Lockdown” UK!

Aaaaaand that’s about all I’m going to say regarding the actual virus itself which, at least for an undetermined number of weeks, changed the world in the first year of the third decade of the twenty-first century.

Actually, that’s a pretty big deal when you come to think of it, huh?

Across this little blue-ish planet we exist upon, most of the almost 8 billion inhabitants have had to stand at least 2 metres apart (unless they were living together when instructed to do so), stay in almost all the time (albeit ‘allowed out’ one hour per day for exercise and once a week for shopping here in the UK), and generally keep away from family, friends, work colleagues and most other people in general.

As usual, conspiracy theories abound, the media often incorrectly reports and sensationalises most of the facts, figures and stories, and everyone has an opinion as to the best way of handling the situation, what the governments of the world didn’t do soon enough and, subsequently, should or shouldn’t do, going forward.

Personally, I’m living in hope.

Hope that something amazingly good, strong, positive and long-lasting will come out of this almost unbelievable situation we find ourselves in, and I don’t just mean some of the more heart-warming tales currently making the rounds of the social media environment.

That things just might change, if only a little.

That we might realise how fragile life is and how we should at least consider that other people we may never know or even meet may benefit from the smallest and most random acts of thoughtfulness, kindness, tolerance and just downright respect.

We’re all very caught up – literally – in our own isolated worlds right now.

But when the doors open, even if only partially as the lockdown eventually starts to be, er, unlocked, it’s my fervent hope that we humans can actually learn something from one of the biggest threats to our health so far in the 21st Century – and be kind to one another.

Not necessarily in a “hippie” way (due respect to all hippies – I was one once, long ago in a galaxy far etc.), but in a very real, meaningful and genuine way.

To be able to live in a world where we simply give some thought to the needs of one another and recognise that we’re all very, very different – all nearly 8 billion of us.

Climbs down off soap-box, exits – keeping two metres distance – through the green door…