Corona - Life's Losses

Oddly, I think it's only this week that it has dawned on me just what I have lost due to Covid 19. Worse, that the losses may, at best, last a long time & at worst never come back.

I had an email this week, from the management of the Playhouse theatre where I work as a volunteer usher, enclosing a piece in "The Stage."
https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/coronavirus-oxford-playhouse-prepares-for-redundancies-in-cost-cutting-plan
People who have been furloughed up to now face redundancy. Worse still, the theatre, along with so many others, faces real financial difficulty, which it may not survive. I feel dreadfully sad on so many fronts that I'm not sure I can express it. Obviously firstly for all the people involved in keeping "the show on the road" - (Sorry, couldn't resist that). There are so many that the public don't see, not just the stars & the Front of House people. Wider still is the loss to all our lives, the audiences & the many people who participate in the outreach programmes theatres like the Playhouse offer.

Personally, for me, it's the loss of one of the most enjoyable aspects of the life that I have built for myself here in Oxford. I enjoyed it so much. I have seen productions I would never have otherwise seen & met so many nice people. To quote Anthony Burgess "All human life is here" - Shakespeare too in As You Like It - "All the world's a stage & all men & women are merely actors". It seems to me that we really do need to make every effort to "keep the show on the road" now. We literally can't afford not to.

Then there is NOA Community Centre, which runs on a shoestring & has been closed for the duration. It is a hub for Summertown & the wider Oxford community. The range of courses & activities for all age groups is amazing. Again there is a nucleus of paid staff with a supporting cast of volunteers. I'm not involved with the management any more, so I have no idea what the total loss of income will mean to it's viability into the future. But I do know that it will be difficult to ride this out. Again, for me, it is the loss of one of the main focuses of my life.

Last but definitely not least, I have no idea when, or more importantly if, the swimming pool I use will re-open. It's in a local independent school. They have enough problems providing education in the current situation. I doubt they have given much thought to the Swim Club I & my friends are members of. It isn't just the exercise, vital though that is. It's the friendship group we have. We transferred our monthly coffee mornings to Zoom meetings. So we haven't lost touch, but it isn't the same. My fitness has plumeted, swimming is the only exercise I can do.

 

This Pandemic has hit so many people really hard & it isn't over yet. Everyone has to live with fundamental change & uncertainty. I can cope with that. What I'm not sure I can cope with is the total loss of point to my life that gives me a reason to get up in the morning.