Dear LPG readers,

How many of you have looked in a newspaper or a magazine’s puzzle page and found the spot the difference pictures?  

I have been locked down like the rest of the population and the suffering that results from the lack of routine and loneliness, has been hard to deal with.  But it is interesting that, while I was not looking, I seemed to get used to the new way of living.  Staying in contact with friends was, and still is, bearing witness to the fact that many of the friends I have stayed in contact with have done the same.

We are now being told to only go out if we have to, and while I do venture out to the local shops once a week and have done since all this started, there had to be some good to come out of lock down and I think that I can see the benefit.

My spare room has become a bit of a nightmare because I have amassed so many items over the years in that room.  Mine was once my son’s bedroom before he left, got married, had a family and bought a house of his own but, for me, being at home for so many hours in the day and passing the door with fewer other reasons to rush, allowed me to really see the visual chaos beyond the open door.  It also gave me the opportunity to take a really good look at all the little things that I could do to change its appearance for the better. I have to admit that just sorting one thing each time I passed that door, throwing the odd thing out and keeping a box for the reusable things that I needed to really say goodbye to, is gradually making a difference. 

I don’t think I could have done it all at once but having all that time has given me the opportunity to put things right a little bit at a time and I have to admit that I can see a difference. 

I knew it needed to be done because this time last year, when it was allowed, during one of my son’s visits, the subject of his old room came up.  We took a picture of what was beyond the door and it was not good.  I took a picture earlier this week and though I don’t think that many will notice the differences I can.  I can report that there are quite a few more obvious improvements to be seen now.

I don’t think that there will be an official end to lock down but, for us pensioners, there is no doubt that the longer we can stay out of the way (at home) the safer we are likely to stay.  Let’s face it, there is no hurry for us to get back out there. 

While I am not ready to ask you to spot the difference by sending my pictures quite yet, I hope that some habits that we have learned because we have spent so long in our homes will stick, and continuing to sort that room out a bit at a time and taking the odd picture of my progress will do for me. 

HS, Forest Hill.