Dear LPG, 

We have been told so many times that we are coming to the end of the pandemic restrictions that it has become hard to believe that it is not just another false start.  But perhaps this time this news is real.   The one thing that we can all be sure of is that it has had all sorts of effects on all sorts of people and the one I want to talk about today even has its own nickname (FOGO which apparently stands for Fear of Going Out)

The obvious one is the illness which has had a devastating effect on so many lives, not only by ending them and leaving so many restricted and affected long term.  All the less obvious, more indirect effects that it has caused will, I am sure, be debated and analysed, and take years to measure.

One of the biggest by-products must have been the loneliness that the enforced lockdown caused.  It was so hard to adjust to in the first place, but it all lasted for so long that a lot of people are now having the other problem.  Now that we are being told that it is safe out there again so many people are having a real problem with taking that first step beyond their personal thresholds.

At the beginning we older people were told that we would be most likely to catch it and, because we are the age group that have also been least likely to have to, many of us have learned to adjust to staying in.

I did not think about how typical I have become of many who don’t feel safe leaving my house.   I took the time to hate being forced to be locked down but, as a pensioner all the things I was doing with my busy week do not affect anyone else much and, though I found being lonely hard going at first, I have got comfortable with spending my time telephoning my friends, getting my shopping, spending all that extra time that we have had on our hands, and I have even got a few more favourite television programs on my ‘must watch’ list than I did have before it all began.  In short, the pandemic months have taught me how to find alternative ways of doing nearly everything.    

My friends are now beginning to meet for a local cup of tea and a chat from time to time, but I find that I really worry about joining them.  It is the getting there that worries me most and after months of wearing a mask I am even having problems with being told that we no longer must.  

I recently got online to look it up and I am not alone.  The Americans are now calling it FOGO and, while I think that I have it!  And the first thing that I learnt is just how many older people are affected.  

I also found some good advice about how to deal with the fear that is part of this problem and thought it might be good to pass on the details for other readers who are feeling a bit like me when it comes to the subject to getting out again

The rest of the world thinks that we oldies are past it so let’s do our best to show them that we are …

TP, Grove Park

TP shares the information she has found…

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