Day lost count - I’m back (writing and working)

I thought my last post would be my final one because I was writing this blog during lockdown. And now I am officially out of it, I thought I would stop. But I miss writing! So I’m gonna carry on, as and when I feel the need, and as and if people enjoy reading it.

It’s been weird. Going back to work. I know many people have worked through this whole thing, and that must have been shit. Or not, if you love your job and can carry on in some kind of normal way at home. But my heart goes out to all the key workers who have been so strong and completely inspirational throughout. 

For me it felt so sudden going back! One day I was in the lockdown bubble, and then one night it was announced “the property market is back. Tomorrow!” Bit of a shock... And for me, just a “normal self employed worker” I’ve gone from stressing about having no work and no income, to worrying about not enough work to go back to when I can, to thinking about safety, to not wanting to wear PPE, then being told to go back, but missing lockdown and wishing it had lasted a couple of weeks longer for me to adjust, to then having to get out there in the Corona World and get my head around it, and to  find a new way of working.

I now have to wear a mask and gloves for every job, and I can’t be as friendly to vendors as I used to be as it’s very difficult to talk freely and coherently through a mask, and of course they are expected to stand out of the property while I work. No friendly chats, no cuppas, I just do my job in a clinical way and leave. And I don’t like it because a big part of the way I used to work was “me”, down to earth, friendly and able to have a laugh with the people I’m working with. But now I feel like a crime scene pathologist when I walk in to a property, and explain I’m not allowed to touch anything and they must leave me to it. And my face sweats under the mask and my bloody phone (which I need to do my work) won’t recognise my face in a mask. So I have to pull the mask down to open my phone because it’s too difficult to input my code wearing slippery gloves, so I need face recognition. And I worry then that my mask has come off, and I’ve breathing C19 particles in or out.... and my gloves have touched my mask and I don’t know what to do. And everything has touched my camera! So I leave each job sweating and stressed, and I spray and gel, and I breath fresh air. And I thank God I don’t have to wear PPE for too long at a time like some people do. 

The inconvenience of the PPE and worry of this shirty virus will not stop me doing my job as well as I have always done. It cannot, because photography is me, and it is what I know and what I’ve always done. I work differently now, and C19 has taught me many life lessons which I can’t go in to now. (Note to self, another blog one day, but I must drink lots of gin first to write this one) But day to day, work safely, be aware, and try and be as pleasant to people as possible when talking and trying to fight for breath through a mask. (2nd note to self, if mustache / chin hair hasn’t been dealt with appropriately wear PPE mask all day, as not being able to breathe is better than whiskers being seen)  

Back to work safely!