Like everyone, lockdown hit me hard. For someone who's used to being busy, rushing around, ferrying kids and working working working, suddenly the diary was empty and the hands were idle. And for me, the main problem with idle hands is they like to wander.
Off they pop on little walks to the biscuit tin. And then the fridge. And especially to the gin cupboard. And then a little saunter to the chocolate. And the kid's snack box. And then off to the white choc Magnums in the freezer....And well, okay, yes - Lockdown HIT MY LIVER AND WAISTLINE HARD.
So I needed to keep the hands busy. A few weeks into lockdown a friend sent me a colourful friendship bracelet as I reminder of 'brighter things to come'. It was such a little thing, but the thought and the surprise mail really boosted my mood. I also couldn't really remember the last time I'd got mail that wasn't a bill or a guilty Amazon purchase. For that moment it felt like Christmas or my birthday and not just a 'shitty Tuesday during a pandemic.'
I wondered if I could pass on that little moment of joy to others. I had a bit of time on my hands after all. And so my Arm Candy project began. Being a copywriter I couldn't resist setting myself a bit of a brief for each person; thinking up words or phrases that I thought they might need. No generic inspo quotes here.
Many of my mates were struggling. Homeschooling was sending us doolally. Lots of expletives were being muttered under breaths - or in our house anyway - screamed out loud and shocking the neighbours. So it seemed fitting that many of these words echoed that. In fact my sweary ones proved the most popular. Funnily enough.
I also felt for my friends stuck on hours upon hours of zoom work calls. Perhaps my little bracelets could help them send subliminal messages to colleagues - a little "Yep" or a "Nope" that could be swivelled in to place at will. Or perhaps someone needed reminding that the hours and hours of meetings might not be the most important thing in their life. I liked imagining them glancing down at their wrist and a smile creeping on their face when they read 'IT'S ALL BOLLOX' just as their timesheets were being questioned.
I think Lockdown and a shared Global Pandemic has really made people feel the need to connect again. I've certainly felt like I've wanted to connect with people more beyond the four walls of my house. I, like lots of us I'm sure, have been 'self isolating' to some extend for years. My world had gotten smaller. The circle of friends I interact with are the amount I could probably handle alongside a stressful career and busy family life. And I think that's sad. Friendships do take work to maintain. The fact that I had been moving at a hundred miles an hour made it hard to invest much time in the people I cared about. Once my immediate family had been tended to, I didn't have much energy left. So this way of reaching out and connecting has been perfect. I'm not one for long phone chats and it's been lovely to share something thoughtful and personal that lingers long after a text message does.
Yep. It's been a lovely little project to keep my hands (and mind) busy. Maybe I'll carry it on after lockdown and continue surprising people with the little thud of Arm Candy plopping on their mat. Or perhaps I'll take my own advice and think 'FUCK IT' and just reach for a delicious Magnum instead.
Char x
Comments