The COVID-19 diaries: David Bowie bubbles

The bubble metaphor has been a little grating for me – there is something inherently joyous sounding about it. Bubbly! Some people are in happy little bubbles, enjoying each other’s company, and we envy them. We can see into their bubble and they are often the model nuclear family, with two well-adjusted children and parents whose relationship hasn’t come undone. They never fight and they alway have something interesting for dinner, and fresh anecdotes to tell each other even though they have spent the past 3+ weeks in each other’s company. It seems like they are enjoying this lockdown – that they have had special time together and their lives are richer and better for it.

It’s not that I haven’t liked being in my bubble, as I have appreciated extra time with my children, and a solid stretch of parenting when normally I am moving between houses every four days. It has been nice to be in one place for almost 4 weeks. But now I’m handing the parenting over to Jonathan and his adjacent bubble. I am going to be child-free for a week or perhaps a couple – depending on when we go back to level 3.

I hope you are all thriving in your bubbles and not driving each other crazy! If you want to see the scene from the movie which this is based on, you can watch it here.