Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop

 

It was 12 noon. I was sitting at my desk at home, having finished up all of the half-completed jobs and rescheduling all of the ones I hadn't yet started. From 5pm, I was on holiday for a whole week. If I could get through the next few hours without anything too troublesome, I'd have nothing complicated to hand over...

And yet ... from previous experience there has always been two unexpected things that have cropped up to spoil my clean slate. Suddenly, someone phoned up with a problem which I couldn't deal with - and she was adamant that she was making it my problem! Through hard work, ingenuity and a lot of prayer the problem soon unravelled, and the customer was happy. I hung up the phone, satisfied that I had dealt with that issue.

And then I waited for the other shoe to drop. 

If you know the phrase, it's an idiom meaning you are waiting for the seemingly unavoidable (and typically negative) thing to happen. I understand it alludes to a person awakened in the night by a neighbour who loudly dropped one shoe on the floor. The person then waits inevitably for the second shoe to be dropped.

Except - why did I expect there to be another shoe? Why was I at risk of ruining a perfectly good afternoon, just waiting for my worst fears to come true? It took me a while to shake myself out of this way of thinking. 

Soon, it was 5pm. The other shoe never dropped. 

Z is for Zebra Crossing

Zebra crossing at Darenth Valley Hospital, Dartford. The rainbow symbol has been adopted by many as a symbol of hope during the pandemic and used as a way to say thank you to the NHS and its staff who have been at risk whilst caring for those with the virus.

Y is for Yagiment (New Words Born Out Of The Pandemic)

According to a British language consultant, the pandemic has fostered more than 1,000 new words. Here's just a few of them:

Blursday - when one day seems to blur into the next.

Covidiot - someone who puts everyone at risk by ignoring public health advice, like social distancing. It can include someone who insists on holding a large indoor gathering.

Doomscrolling - the act of spending an excessive amount of time on the internet absorbing lots of negative news. Not good, as it can be an addictive pattern of behaviour.

Quarantini - a cocktail mixed to celebrate yet another day working from home.

WFH - this is an acronym for “working from home”.  This is believed to be the new normal of the present world as many companies have offered this flexibility to their employees even post-Covid.

Zoom-bombing - what happens when internet trolls or hackers invade a Zoom video meeting to disrupt or distribute inappropriate material. 

(oh ... and Yagiment is an old Scottish word meaning a state of excitement. OK, then, you try and find a new word beginning with Y!)

X is for Xenophobia

The fear of getting infected with the virus triggered discrimination against people perceived to be carriers. Sadly, racism is still rife, and you can't inoculate against that. 

W is for Wellbeing

The last few months have been worrying and challenging, with so much uncertainty about what will happen and with daily changes to our everyday lives due to the pandemic. It’s therefore important we take care of our mental and emotional wellbeing during this time,as well as our physical health.

V is for Vaccine

 Here's the venue for my second COVID-19 jab. So pleased that I'm fully inoculated!

U is for Underlying Condition

This means any health condition for which the patient has already received medical advice or treatment. For example, diabetes, cancer, lung disease and heart disease. It can also be called a pre-existing condition. People with underlying conditions are more at risk of serious illness if they catch COVID-19. 

T is for Trying

 

S is for Screens

 In case you missed the last reminder ...

R is for Reminder

 

In case you forget ...

Q is for Quarantine

'Quarantine' is the preferred term to use when referring to someone who has arrived from:

• a red list country or territory and must stay in a managed quarantine hotel
• an amber list country or territory and must quarantine at home or in the place they’re staying

Those people who have:

• symptoms of COVID-19
• a positive COVID-19 test
• been in contact with someone who has tested positive

are told they have to ‘self-isolate’

P is for Pandemic

Pandemic is a term used when an illness is affecting a very large population, having spread from a community to several countries across the world. The COVID-19 epidemic was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation in March 2020.

O is for One-way

We've seen a lot of these signs recently. It helps reinforce the social distancing measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus.

N is for the NHS

The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom. Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation.

On the 5th of July 2021, Queen Elizabeth II awarded the NHS the George Cross. This is the highest award for gallantry available to civilians. In a handwritten note the Queen said the award was being made to all NHS staff past and present for their “courage, compassion and dedication” throughout the pandemic.

M is for Making A Plan

One of the things we've all had to learn during the pandemic is the ability of plan ahead - and to rethink that plan quickly!

For example, we needed to think about who we could ask for help to make sure we could stay at home if we had to self-isolate. Many of us had to learn how to shop online for many items when the shops themselves weren't physically open. Even a trip to the supermarket became more like a military manoeuvre rather than a quick trip out - are you masked up? Is the supermarket letting us in? Can we keep our social distance when we get in? Are the items we want available to buy? (sigh)

I've lost count of the number of occasions when I've planned out my week, only to have it change twice or three-times in a matter of hours!

L is for Lockdown

The first step for the UK Governments to stop the spread of COVID-19 was to declare a lockdown. During lockdown everyone was asked to stay at home unless they had a reasonable excuse or need for leaving.

In many cases, lockdowns have been lifted, however these can still be re-introduced locally to try and stop the spread of the virus. Lockdowns are still in place in many countries of the world (at the time of writing!).

K is for Kit

As health experts highlighted testing as a key strategy in fighting the pandemic, testing kits became a very valuable asset for healthcare systems around the world.

Rapid lateral flow test kits (like the one above) are most commonly used to check if someone has COVID-19 if they do not have symptoms.

J is for Jab

All of these are alternative names for the medication that goes into your arm to prevent you getting seriously ill...

• injection
• vaccine
• vaccination
• inoculation
• shot (informal)
• jab (British, informal)
• jag (informal)
• hypo (from the term 'hypospray' used in Star Trek; a 23rd Century medical device which didn't penetrate the skin. It was invented because 1960's TV executives weren't allowed to show needles in the show. Hence characters might encourage the doctors to 'hypo me')

I is for (Social) Isolation

Don't get too close! However, don't cut yourselves off!

H is for Hospital Queues

... and with the risk that you won't be seen at all!

G is for Green List

The countries included in the government's green list (those where you don't need to quarantine after returning home from an overseas holiday) may change unexpectedly at short notice ... can you truly relax and enjoy your holiday knowing that?

 

F is for Face Coverings

Wearing a face covering can reduce the risk to others and yourself against the spread of infection because they cover the nose and mouth, which are the main confirmed sources of transmission of the virus...

E is for Essential Workers

 

Thank you!

D is for Disbelief

Unfortunately, in 2021 common sense often remains in short supply. 

C is for Card

Birthday card I got during lockdown...

B is for Beware Of Fake News

Always check the information you get about the pandemic. Remember, not everyone tells the truth... check it out first before telling others!

A is for A Sign Of The Times

Venue for my first vaccine jab...