The things I’ve learnt from lockdown

17 July 2020

Well, at last we seem to be starting to get back to some semblance of normal. It’s not going to be “back to normal” for a long while yet, we’ll have to wait and see but I’m always very positive and I believe normal will return one day in the not so distant future.

Like everyone else, lockdown really gave me pause to think and take a step back from what has become the crazy pace of modern life. Everyone’s lockdown experience was different. I was out to work 3 or 4 days a week, then home with my 2 young children the rest of the week whilst my wife worked. And having 2 young children meant that no I didn’t get to binge box sets on Netflix!

Here are a few of things that I’ve learnt from the enforced stop that so many of us have had to have;

  1. Our time is precious – such a cliché I know – but it’s true. I’ve had more time because I couldn’t work the way I normally do. I’ve got to spend time with my family that I never would have had life been normal. And I’m grateful for that time. Everybody’s time is important and one thing we have introduced on reopening is doing everything by appointment. It came from necessity to not have too many people in the practice at once but we are finding that people really like it. Rather than turning up to collect glasses and having to wait if everyone is busy, we are prepared and the client gets that time without interruption. We are definitely keeping collection appointments in our new normal.
  2. Teaching is hard. I really don’t know how teachers do it, especially with 30 children at once. It’s safe to say I won’t be changing career any time soon!
  3. Being bald is very helpful when the barbers and hairdressers are closed. Just a quick go over with the clippers and I’m good for another week! I didn’t really understand everyone’s excitement at the hairdressers opening up again, but have spent this week complimenting lots of people on how nice their hair looks (and no one even noticed when mine was done!).
  4. Spare glasses are great. Yes definitely, without doubt, spare glasses are great. During lockdown we had so many people break their glasses and inevitably they didn’t have a spare pair that they could use (the vision with the pair from 12 years ago in the drawer turned out to be not that good). Here is how we can help – we can offer you (with the support of our lens supplier) a second pair of glasses half price when you buy a complete pair. We can hold this offer open for 3 months from the first purchase so they don’t have to be bought on the same day, the lower priced pair will be half price.

I hope you have all come through this period safe and well, and I wonder what you have learnt during your lockdown experience.

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