Reflections 25th October

What I’ve noticed.

That suddenly, it's the end of October. That the brief summer respite of pretending the virus was going away has evaporated, we're talking of a "digital Christmas" and that I'm sensing a variety of emotions in myself and others from a weariness on the one hand, through a form of grieving for the old normal, to an excitement about what we might build to replace that old, flawed normal.

I think we can see all the elements of the Grief Cycle - denial that anything's really changed, anger that it's messing us about, negotiating with ourselves and others as to how we adapt as politicians tinker and bluster through to depression as the days shorten, the clocks go back and the sense of "here we go again" arises. The final stage, acceptance, is there for some.

Late last year David Kessler, who worked with Kubler Ross on the grief cycle published a book suggesting a sixth stage - Meaning. I think that's important.

Covid-19 looks likely to be with us for at least year before we g…