Somewhere over the rainbow...

It's 5.30 am again and I'm again thinking of what to write.  Well, I was up and out of bed this morning at about 3.30am.  I was awake and fed up of just laying there.  I've got into the habit of going to bed early; 8pm is becoming normal for me.  Simply there is too much rubbish on TV, on social media, and the news makes for depressing reading.  So I go to bed.

Of course that means that I am up well before the larks.  Breakfast number 1 might just be a couple of croissants warmed in the oven with a little extra butter and a smidgeon of strawberry jam.  mmm.  The news on TV is permanently crap and depressing.  Whichever way you read about or watch it the horror stories continue to be pushed towards us about Covid-19 and the self serving commentary, where the news stations think they're best opinionated on everything, continues to grate.  The sooner the day comes when their wings are clipped and they're reduced back to reporting the facts, only the facts, and so reducing programmes to three 30 minute slots on TV per day, well, the sooner the bloody better.  Dear BBC.  You want to make some licence savings do you?  Well there you go.  Bin the fecking news channel.

But mixed in with the horror are some articles about what people are doing to keep sane and the recognition given by the many to the few who are helping to fight this pandemic.  What is currently being reported is the proliferation of rainbow drawings, murals and montages all over the country for the NHS.  Done mainly by children it's a beautiful thing to see and is starting to obliterate the windows of the homes here in York and across the country.

I started to see them a week or two back.  Don't tell anyone but I'm now delivering for the local butcher, Martin and his team at Richardsons of Woodthorpe.  Yes I've mithered my brother to stop his delivery rounds as the risk to him and his family of picking up the Covid bug from mingling with folk in their homes was too great and its great that he is now self isolating.  In fact he's taking the need to self isolate very seriously even though many folk continue to phone him to see if he is willing to deliver / do house moves etc at this time.  Politely but firmly he's currently saying no.  Good.

I'm currently not cycling - anywhere.  I won't even go out for a 'keep fit' ride on my bike.  The need for as much isolation as possible is paramount just now so I'm doing my bit.  I have the magnetic trainer and so I expect to wear that out before this crisis ends.  Good news is I'm generally off the carbs and my weight continues to reduce.  I cut another notch in my belt yesterday - no not to let it out - to tighten it!  I'm taking care with the starchy stuff and no longer see off a loaf of bread every day.  Yeah!

Anyway I have an excuse as to why I am OK on the delivery runs.  I do not mix with folk.  I'm delivering to the many who are self isolating, mainly over 70's, some of whom are part of the governments target audience who must remain isolated for at least 12 weeks.  I see the worry in their faces, some only appearing at windows, as I drop the bag off at the door, knock and step back and look for some acknowledgement as the last thing I want to do is to leave a bag of fresh meat on the doorstep to grow warm moist and hairy in the midday Sun.  I am in effect as isolated as if I were at home.  But I'm helping folk, whether it's Martin and so stop him from suffering an extra ordinarily long work day or those who just cannot, should not, will not, or must not leave home.

Many of the homes proudly display rainbow drawings in their windows.  I must do that too.  Along with the 8pm applause for the NHS every Thursday.  It's two of the few things I see that are bringing the country together, recognising the massive risks and sacrifices and care being given to those in need at this particularly dangerous time.  Boris is in hospital in Intensive Care but hopefully improving.  The day may yet come where he makes his own forever to be remembered Churchillian speech regarding Covid-19. "We will fight it in the laboratories.. we will never surrender.." or for the NHS that, "..never was so much owed by so many to so few..."

Rainbows are beautiful things.  There I was trawling iTunes for more music a week of two back and came across a contemporary version of 'Somewhere over the Rainbow'.  I'm no Judy Garland fan but this version sung by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole hit just the right note for me.  Don't know why right now as it has been around for the last 10 years.  Yet I like it a lot.

Now the other week it was with great sadness I heard that Keeley's mum had died.  Her and Andy are my neighbours and it is hugely sad to hear of their pain.  It was not expected and seemed quite sudden but the two of them were with her when she passed.  Truly sad.

Both had returned home that Sunday morning and Andy tells me both were sat in relative silence in their living room when all of a sudden this booming sound track was heard from my side of the wall.  The first track I'd put on that morning was 'Somewhere over the Rainbow'.  Andy told me how Keeley had said 'do you hear the music Wayne is playing?' I'll not describe the emotion that track unleashed.  Simply that song was her Dads favourite and he had passed a few years ago.  Surely it was Dad telling Keeley that her mum was all OK.  I'm teary again as I write this.

Rainbows are beautiful things.  Double rainbows doubly so.  There are many things that catch my attention when I am out on my bike.  For example the stroboscopic trees and the memory of another Wayne at the side of the cycle track.   So I now look forward to a future April showery day with wet laden clouds in the east and a low Sun on the western horizon and hope to be lucky enough to see a spectacular rainbow across my path.

That surely will be a good day to remember.

Ciao.