Perfect Procrastination Storm

 So, here we are. The end of August. Eat out to help out is over. Stop enjoying what you love doing and get back to work -safely. Second wave? Who knows. Let’s put some doctors on the telly to explain that the reason cases are rising but deaths are still falling is because social distancing reduces the viral load (note: I’m not saying this isn’t true - I don’t know). Go to the office. Don’t hug anyone. It will be fine but if it’s not then it will be your fault. Teachers and kids get back to school. You’ve had quite enough fun.

For me, it has been fun. The whole lockdown experience was everything I want from life (without the music). It was quiet and stress free and I was encouraged to walk and stay at home. 

Now, we’ve got to think about resuming our old lives. This causes us to panic about paper trimmers and whether there will be enough A3 paper in the stock cupboard. We regret not using this time to write our novel or do our tax return. 

All of those things that you thought you should have done loom large. What you still have to do to prepare for a return to work looms even larger.

This creates the perfect storm of procrastination. When is the house insurance due? That paperwork is a bit messy. I must water the pot plants. Did I already water the orchid? You mustn’t give orchids too much water. What about my poor garden? It’s going to feel neglected now. The tomatoes still aren’t all ripe. I must prune the beech hedge. It must be time to dead head the roses again. Oh, I haven’t harvested the lavender. Can you smell that odd smell? Maybe we should rod the drains. There might be an old potato at the back of the cupboard. Pull out the oven, who knows, a dead mouse could be trapped behind it. Gosh, look how dirty the oven is. What about the filter on the tumble drier? It would be really nice to have the wardrobe organised by colour before I go back to work. The windows are a bit grubby. I don’t even know where my work shoes are.

Enjoy your last day of freedom, I know your oven will enjoy the experience as much as mine will.