Double-Guessing a Madman

Photo by Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash

I still can’t quite believe that it is really happening. Every now and again I think that it is only a nightmare. Then, I watch the news and reality strikes. War in Europe. It seems that the old saying really could be true, only one generation can ever see peace. Then we seem to forget our previous lessons and repeat the same mistakes again.

Post Lockdown: Summer Ends, Back to School

These have been strange times for everyone, and it’s going to be hard to get back to normal life. As a teacher it has been some time since life was completely normal. Teaching from home from March until June, then the summer holidays began. Now I am not complaining about that, believe me. But now it is back to work, and who knows how things will be, and what systems we will have to follow. One thing is for certain, it won’t quite be the return to normal that many people would have been hoping for.

Here, in the Czech Republic, things are fairly normal, but that is only when compared to other countries. Restrictions were lifted quite some time ago, but now there is uncertainty in the air. Children will return to school, as will face masks to our lives. So some rules will come back into force, but which ones? Seemingly, our government can’t decide. They say one thing one day, a few days later they seem to be having second thoughts. Perhaps they should have those second thoughts before they announce anything, at least if they don’t wish to appear foolish.

Luckily us teachers have a week in school before the students return, so there should be time to get everything ironed out. There will also be some time to get used to being back in an office again. Working from, and being at, home more often has become the norm and it may take some time to readjust. I know that returning to a normal life is important, both for me and my family, and I know that it will be a healthy thing for our lives. But, still, I can’t help but feel slightly nervous. We are, after all, entering the unknown.

Words © Neil Hayes and neilhayeswrites

Points of View

The world is full of myriad opinions at the moment. Everything from Covid to Black Lives Matter elicit different points of view. Some of which are articulated in an extremely hostile manner. Nobody seems to be considering the fact that both sides of any argument could be correct, at least about something.

Alas, we seem to be living in a world where if a person says something you disagree with, then they must be full of shit about everything else too. Sorry about the language, but only that truly expresses the rage which you often see. The problem is that when we take sides we seem to assume that there are only two. But this is not a war between countries, or a sport, and this is not a two-dimensional world. Would you want it to be?

Deep Down

Looking into the depths can be a dangerous business. Wouldn’t it be easier to just splash around in the shallow end? Currently many of us have time on our hands, time to think, to dream, to worry. I guess the most important thing is acceptance, both of the situation and of what arises from it. That can be hard work sometimes though, can’t it? Yet, right now, while I look at a sun dappled tree, acceptance seems easy.

© Neil Hayes and neilhayeswrites

How Are We Feeling?

Strange times are upon us. It is hard to know how to react, isn’t it? Personally, I am trying to look for the positives in the whole situation, remain active, and keep my moods under control. That last one is not always easy, just ask my poor wife. So I have got to find some way to cope with this lockdown. Working from home has always been my dream, but it’s a bit different when the whole family is there too, and you are restricted in your movements in the outside world.