Sunday, March 22, 2020

Wednesday 11 March: I'm doing some campaigning at work about transphobia in the workplace. I'm having lots of corridor conversations. As I come back from these conversations I'm finding out from my desk that the situation in the world is getting worse with the covid-19

Thursday 12 March: I had a phone call with an external partner about the hateful situation I've been in at work. As soon as I get back to my desk, someone is dismissed from my desk to go home immediately. I'm beginning to worry. My boss says I have powers to book people in to work at the paper without as much budgetary scrutiny

Friday 13 March: I'm in a rush and everything seems to be going south. Lots of people are being dismissed from work. I go into a conference call about the workplace transphobia issue but as soon as I get back to my desk I find out that Boris Johnson declares a state of emergency. My boss comes by and asks if I can work from home. I say it's not possible without VPN support, she said she'll look into it.

Saturday 14 March: I am too busy for the gym or my normal tasks. Im working from home dealing with rotas. I go to the gym and slightly stockpile on non perishables

Sunday 15 March: Working from home again. I don't go to the gym today because I'm too busy. I end up working on some admin and trying to catch up on tasks. I make a good effort of it but there's still lots to do.

Monday 16 March: My first 'work from home' day. I can't really do it. My parents are going out and not realising how much of a risk it is. They say that shops are emptying out but still were enough things to buy.

Tuesday 17 March: More work from home. I had a conference call with a group of media industry types as I'm now a representative of a very unfortunate and public issue. I realise that being an aspergers person, I'm at a disadvantage in communication with conference calling.

Wednesday 18 March: I go into work. It's a ghost town but at least the canteen is still up. I was supposed to have holiday that day but I was super busy and work needed to be done. I decide to go in for Thursday as well. I begin to realise my days are numbered.

Thursday 19 March: I'm told that I can have a full WFH arrangement soon. but not yet. I have to come in tomorrow. The trains are still full-ish and I was behind someone who coughed on the train. I was so close that I felt the wind of their cough. I am thinking this is all okay.

Friday 20 March: I finally have my work from home arrangements set up. I do a bit of work but not much. I feel like this is the first full day of self isolation. Mum goes out and says things aren't good outside. Dad goes to mass. The local church says that the archbishop has cancelled mass and will do live stream church services in the future.

Saturday 21 March: Oh wait that's today. I go for a run outside in the common. I see people not obeying the 6 foot rule and people are out with families and elders for walks. I deliberately stopped and paced around them, I looked weird for walking around them and not them. I was thinking how stupid it was of them to hang around in certain parts of the common like where the benches are or the cafe, but then I though: am I no different to them? I went into the more wilderness areas of the common and went for a run. I went to the posh area and went to the waitrose. I bought some nice meat that nobody who panic buys would afford. I bought it for Mother's day. I bought some saturday papers. As I got home I fell asleep. I wake up and my friends are on a conference call to socialise. I eat good today.

This covid-19 thing scares me but I think what scares me is the very short societal changes going on now. What scares me is the inaction of many people perhaps even myself. The prime minister on Thursday this week said it would be 12 weeks. Why do I not believe him?


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