Oliver's Postcard from Home

It is very difficult to know what to say about the situation we all find ourselves in at the moment, principally because most of it has been said already. I am writing this sitting outside in the glorious sun that has at least been the silver lining to the lockdown here in England and the thing that strikes me, and I think everyone, the most is the seismic change.

By now, my Pre-U exams would have begun in earnest, long days would be spent revising non-stop in a last-ditch attempt to get those vital extra marks. I would have been back at school for a week already, enjoying the weather playing football with friends on meads and lounging about in the garden in any free time that remained. After those exams were finished I would have been off on holidays with friends, to watch England at the Euros, to enjoy Wimbledon in the sun and to celebrate my 18th birthday. Instead, most of these things will never happen.

There are things to be grateful for of course. I can’t help but consider how valuable technology is to all of us right now. Even just 10 years ago the idea of having school all day on Skype would have been ludicrous and the virtual family pub quizzes impossible.

So, I am very bored at the moment, and I long for a return to the normality of pubs, restaurants, school, and, above all else, sport. In the meantime though, the long walks, the Netflix watching and the Zoom quizzes will have to do. The value of what has remained constant must not be underestimated, and school continuing in as structured a fashion as possible has added an invaluable dose of routine. It is also important to be thankful for what we have – if nothing else this crisis has taught me that we can quickly lose more freedom than I ever could have possibly imagined.

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