I've not posted anything for weeks, except an account of my visit to the Bingley 5 Rise 250th a few days ago. In fact, I've not been doing much, and not feeling too well. It's been coming and going, so I never know what I'll be like tomorrow. As far as I can see it's a form of Long Covid. I've had this problem on and off since having Covid early on in the outbreak. Some days my whole body aches, Other times I don't have so much pain but my legs feel weak and walking any distance seems daunting, then it lifts and I'm full of beans for a day or two.
I feel rather like I'm letting people down. Indeed, today I've done virtually nothing and that may have delayed other peoples work. I woke up this morning with every joint from my ankles to my neck hurting and decided to go back to bed. The pain wore off about dinner time, but, by then I was in a psychological malaise. Stirring myself seemed an impossible effort. I've just, after much procrastination, made the supreme effort of logging in and starting a blog post.
Strangely enough, a couple of days ago, two of our more senior volunteers were complaining that young people don't want to work. If you go on the market you see them hanging about doing nothing. Now, I've no time for the bone idle, but I do know that many of the people who habitually colonise Ashton market have substance abuse or mental health issues and no-one would want to employ them until these are resolved. Most people who are able to are working, often for little actual gain because of the ridiculously high rents.
The government bemoans the fact that, since covid, a huge number of people haven't returned to work and are 'on the sick'. This could be because they actually are poorly! It seems to me that Long Covid is a greatly misunderstood and maligned condition, rather like it's close cousin, M.E. Virtually everyone who I've asked who has had Covid seems to have kept some residual effects, often tiredness and lack of stamina, sometimes, but not always, including respiratory problems. In most cases this doesn't stop people working, but in many cases it does.
People say it's my age. Yes, I can expect some physical decline as I get older. When I get brain fog, another symptom, people sometimes hint that I have dementia, and yet my brain is bright as a button at other times. Age related decline. mentally and physically, is a continuum, not up and down.
I generally work more than 40 hours a week as a volunteer for the WCBS, and yet I know I couldn't do a normal job. When I'm feeling good I get a lot done and work long hours. When I'm feeling knackered I do the minimum then go home and rest. I'm in charge of my time.
Despite, or perhaps because of, me taking a back seat, things are looking up. One example is "Forget me Not". I've been feeling ashamed of her condition for years and yet unable to do much about it. Recently a new volunteer called Tony has taken on the task of sorting her out. He's turfed all the useful but chaotic items out of the engine 'ole, cleaned up, tidied up, repaired the engine 'ole bulkhead, broken floor, battery box headlight etc etc. Perhaps, by the time we start operating again, she won't look so down at heel.
