The first 2 days of lockdown

Haarlem, 15 December 2020

What did I learn?

The nurseries and schools are closed. So where does everyone go? To the public playgrounds…all together, at the same time. Pfff… what a mess.

I spoke with a dad because Yaron wanted to play with his son’s toy airplane. He turned out to be a “close talker”. For fear of appearing to think he has a smelly breath or something I didn’t keep my distance. Also, I couldn’t help but thinking about appearing to be scared (whilst talking) – I was actually happy to talk to a normal human being (had a good feeling about this dad, one of his two son’s had Down’s Syndrome – the kid who had the airplane).

Also spoke with the mother of a girl who took an instant liking of Yaron in the sandpit while he was dragging a spade around (again turned out to be from the Down Syndrome kid). The girl spoke Dutch but the mother was initially (socially) distant, until she started speaking in English with a heavy Greek accent (slow, melancholic). She and her (Dutch) husband and their 3-year old daughter Georgia just moved to Haarlem from London a month ago. The bad healthcare system (sorry NHS, her words) and the bad education system drove them to Holland. Barely a month here, and their daughter to day care, and then in lockdown. I could smell her anxiety (at a distance).

Wait, there was more… but I have to go to sleep now.

So what did I learn…? Stay in the moment, stay patient, stay connected.

Till next time.