Summary

The website content reflects personal reflections and musings on the experiences, realizations, and changes an individual has encountered during lockdown, structured as responses to twelve prompted questions.

Abstract

The article presents a series of twelve introspective questions and answers that delve into the author's personal experiences during lockdown. It covers a range of emotions and observations, from missing family visits to appreciating quality time with children, dealing with unexpected personal outbursts, and discovering a renewed appreciation for technology and meditation as resources. The piece also touches on the author's struggle with procrastination, the comfort of extended family and friends, the rekindling of old dietary habits, and the activities undertaken to fill time outside of work and sleep. The author expresses a hope for societal change post-lockdown and offers advice to maintain calm during crises. The narrative concludes with gratitude towards those who inspired the writing and an invitation for readers to contribute their own reflections.

Opinions

The author values the unplanned quality time spent with family, particularly the strengthening bond between siblings.
There is an acknowledgment of personal shortcomings, such as unexpected outbursts, and a recognition of the need to address underlying fears.
The writer fantasizes about hosting whimsical characters like the Cat in the Hat to lighten the mood.
There's a confession about indulging in comfort foods, leading to a slight weight gain, but with a commitment to returning to healthier habits.
The author finds solace and self-discovery in creative activities such as reading, writing, and drawing during the lockdown.
Technology is appreciated for its role in maintaining connections, yet meditation and observation are highlighted as the most effective tools for clearing frustration.
The lockdown has prompted the author to look inward for advice and to listen to their inner voice for guidance.
The author expresses a desire for collective change post-lockdown, urging society to not simply "unpause" and return to old ways.
The piece concludes with an optimistic message about staying calm during crises, recognizing that what may seem bad now might lead to positive outcomes in time.
There is an evident frustration with the formatting challenges faced when writing across different platforms, indicating a broader struggle with technology's limitations.
The author extends gratitude to specific individuals for their inspirational nudge to write and shares links to related writings by others who have taken on the same writing challenge.

12 Lockdown Based Prompted Q&A’s

A loose poetic response to grateful nudges from Besom & Bletherskite and Manasi Diwakar

I hesitated once again

This time twelve instead of ten

Answers for questions about lockdown and me

A prompt and a nudge to write and see

What my typing unfolds from within

No more procrastinating let’s begin

Q1. What have I missed most during lockdown?

The freedom to visit or have friends and family around

Our house had revolving doors for them all

Without needing an appointment or to call

Q2. The best thing about it?

Quality time with my girls – no doubt about it!

Watching them grow their sisterly bond stronger

Childish fights where love wins out for longer

Q3. What is the worst?

An unexpected outburst

From me un-coerced

A childish tantrum I have to admit

My fear unknowingly rising a bit

Things I thought I had cleared

Reopened with a layer uneared

Q4. Who would I like to host?

The cat in the hat the most

I don’t mean to make the question light

But his antics would bring fun and delight

As long as his entourage came along too

Help clean up the mess when bedtime is due

Q5. What discovery have I had about me?

While I can handle my own company

I still love the comfort of extended family

Including close mates

I have missed the dates

A full calendar used to cause anxiety

But now I long for missed variety

Q.6 Most digested

Comfort food uncontested

While I still kept up with whole food

I didn’t have the willpower to exclude

The ole salty and sweet favs reappeared

As my waistline slightly disappeared

Back to habits now more sustainable

Clothes shopping way too painable

Q7. Activities partaken besides work and sleep?

Reading, writing, dancing and drawing a heap

Q8. Heavier or lighter on cessation?

See question six for affirmation

Q9. Resources most treasured?

Technology if time is measured

Though, meditation and observation

The most effective on clearing frustration

Q10. My two cents on helpful advice

Only you can know the answer precise

Look within and ask the question

The inner voice will gift suggestion

Q11. How has lockdown changed me?

I am even more aware limits have been pushed

Mother Nature revoking permission to be ambushed

I dream we do not unpause and return to the same

But use it as a chance to write a whole new game

Q12. My bottle message for the future is this

Try your best to stay calm during a crisis

Good thing bad thing who really knows

Time will eventually reveal and expose

Seems the questions have come to an end

Restrictions in West Oz starting to bend

A new challenge starts to emerge

Balancing the freedom and the urge

To return to our ordinary days

Without adjustments to our ways

Empathy and compassion needed even more

As the unknown knocks on the human door

The formatting a bit amiss here… I have fought for spaces between stanzas to see them disappear too many times.. hence all the . . . The quirks of apps vs web vs iPhones and iPads all too testing on my patience and availability at this time!

Thanks to Besom & Bletherskite and Manasi Diwakar for the nudge to write.

Check out their ripples from this prompt.

Self Discovery

Answering the lockdown challenge questions

medium.com

Lockdown- A Momentary Pause

For the lockdown writing prompt

medium.com

Thanks to the ripple maker Keno Ogbo for this challenge:

My 12 Answers to Make Sense of Lockdown

A reflective essay thinking about my time in lockdown

medium.com

John Ross I am hoping that this offering may be an acceptable substitute for the nudge you gave me on the 15 questions of late? I know they are different questions but…. still have tiny threads of inspiration…yeah?!

My Answers For 15 Inspiring Questions

Here’s to getting to know me a little more

medium.com

I offer an open invitation to anyone reading to continue the ripples from either or both sources and contribute their voice.

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for being you.