VIEW FROM MY BALCONY DURING COVID19

My balcony faces west allowing me to look at  the back of the Royal Jubilee Hospital, three parking lots-two belonging to the hospital-one for the cars of the staff,one for supply trucks and another parking  lot of the medical building next door. My balcony also faces a small private Elementary school,it's parking lot,two dead end streets on either side of a big playground, a waterworks building belonging to the city, a helipad for the hospital helicopter and a big empty field. I also look out on a back alley. This is the view I see every morning when I get up and go out to greet the world with my first cup of coffee.

When the lock down started two months ago, there was suddenly absolute silence from my balcony. For hours I sat there listening  to the silence.   All day long  there was this silence -silence in the streets, silence on the sidewalks, silence in the playground and silence in the school. Even the helicopters and ambulances were silent. \The only vehicles I saw belonged to the staff of the hospital and the supply lot. Sometimes it felt eerie,sometimes peaceful, but always beautiful in it's quiet. If I woke before seven a.m. I could see the frontliners with their backpacks coming for their twelve hour shifts. At noon I watched taxis and  delivery vans delivering lunches donated by a grateful public.  It felt as if the world had stopped, and I was alone.

This abandoned feeling lasted for several days.Then one day  I saw a small family coming through the playground.  Two small children and a father all on bicycles came down the dead end street. They came through the playground, through the school area, down the other dead end  road and into the empty parking lot. The children circled around with enthusiasm while the father watched. I could see the joy and amazement in their eyes at this unusual freedom. Next I saw two young women sunbathing on the grass. As the days progressed more people came.  I started to recognize the different sets of children and watchful parents. I was amused by the antics of older children doing "Wheelies" in forbidden areas and the increasing  confidence of the toddlers as they cycled round and round  the empty roads.
One morning the next week I noticed several cars parked in the school parking lot and several people with large garbage bags entering the school. From that point on the cars were parked there every day and teachers were busy with home schooling.  One glorious day a week later I noticed several children running through the classroom. These were the children allowed back for special reasons. It was exciting and I know now how the people felt when the Pied Piper was forced to bring back the children in that sad fairy tale.


Eventually I too went out walking through the playground and field. The first day I did this I noticed four basket ball players throwing baskets while observing social distancing and I thought it looked odd. I questioned the oddness and realized it was odd because these were fathers and adult sons playing together. I had not seen this in the playground before. Usually the players were young adults. I could now see the effects of  Covid 19 and the lock down were slowly changing our behaviors. Here were Fathers spending hours playing with their tiny children, Fathers and mothers enjoying games with their adult sons and daughters. Suddenly because of Covid 19 there was time for family interaction. The rat race was temporarily stopped.
the sky was clear, the birds were taking over the sound waves, the ducks were taking over the empty roads and playground and people had time for their families.

 As I watched these developments,I wondered  what would be the outcome of all this. Would there be warmer family connections? Would our lifestyle change into something more organic and this would be the new normal? Or would we revert? Would Toddlers, used to freedom of the road want to  to cycle down the center of the road  when this is all over? Would parents and adult children continue to play together or be distant again?  Would the rush be on again? There were many questions.

One early morning last week as I entered the field, two brothers on bicycles entered the other end. The eldest was about eight and the young one about four. The bigger boy rushed down the field but the younger one started to cry and turn back so the older one went back to urge him on but still the younger brother shook his head and continued crying. At this point I realized I was the problem. The boys had obviously been taught social distancing, the little boy not knowing what six meters were, was frightened  and I was the threat. I shouted "don't worry, I am going back home" and did so. A few seconds later the little boy relieved whizzed past me with a big smile on his face. But I was saddened. What a lot of problems the little ones needed to process and understand with this crises and how will this affect them.
Early yesterday morning as I was out for my daily walk  I watched a young father showing his young son-a toddler-how to play "hopscotch.
The little boy imitating him perfectly hopped vigorously ,though inaccurately, through the hopscotch course-it was amusing and endearing watching this lanky young father and his chubby little son stamping and hopping in that old classic girly game.
One night last week in the evening during the warm spell, I was on my balcony again and watched a family picnic in the playground. They had spread out a blanket sitting around baskets of food and laughing. It was so grand to see that.
Today is Mother's Day and I can see much more activity from my balcony as the rules loosen and people and all mothers celebrate in a way they never have before. Most of us are still alone with Netflix-happy to be  alive and healthy.
Every night before I go to bed I greet the night and marvel at the clear sky and  brighter stars  and thank  them for giving us another night of shinning splendor in this strange time .