Today at noon marked seven days of lockdown in France and it has mostly been plain sailing. On Friday morning, Val and I went to Auchan (a large shopping centre near our home) with slight trepidation over what to expect. Many of the news reports have focussed on the carnage at supermarkets—larges queues and lack of stock—but we were relieved to find both order and supplies in abundance. After making it around the store in good time like we do on most Fridays, we headed back home feeling very fortunate.
The first indication for us that the lockdown was real came on Saturday afternoon. We filled out our papers after lunch and decided to take a walk in the forest beside our home. The kids were enjoying the fresh air and it was nice to get some vitamin D after being cooped up inside for a week. After 35 minutes of hiking, we came out of the forest at a different trail head than where we'd entered. This one was particularly notable because it had a barrier and a sign blocking entry to the forest. A few seconds after we exited, two police officers, a male and a female, got out of their vehicle and walked towards us in a very purposeful manner. The male officer proceeded to tell us off for being in the forest and asked had we not seen the signs saying it was banned. I responded that we had entered at another area near our home—explained the exact entry point—and told him there was no barrier indicating it was forbidden. Again, he reinforced that it was absolutely banned and then asked to see our papers. We complied and after he looked over them, handed them back to us before driving up to our entry point to see that we were in fact telling the truth. If I'm being honest, it was slightly intimidating and I am also not sure I understand the logic of it. Our supermarkets and streets are teaming with people who are not keeping the required distance between each other, yet to go into a wide open space where people keep their distance is forbidden? But we respect the parameters put in place by the government and haven't ventured into the forest since.
On Sunday, we had a movie matinée at home. Dylan made a poster, sold tickets, and set up a shop so we could buy popcorn and chocolates. It was yet another positive element to come from this enforced time at home. Eight days in and I have truly begun to realise just how precious it is to be holed up with the people I love the most. I have been getting up early to walk laps around the park where our apartment is based and Dylan and I do our planking together each day. Many people are not so fortunate and have to endure sickness and confinement in small places.
In the beginning, I was nervous about how it would go with all of us under the one roof. In fact, I got so stressed about it one day that I started to retreat into myself. I now see that this situation of confinement is not a problem to be solved but a gift to be embraced. I cannot control it, but what I can control is the ability to stop scrolling through endless newsfeeds and how I react to others.
McLoughlin matinée