Since the emergence of this virus thingy (I won't use the 'c' word as I know some people who are allergic to it and break out in hysterics every time they hear it)... since the emergence of this virus thingy, we have been ordered to practise 'social distancing'. This entails staying at home and, if one does come across a real live human being, not touching them, shaking hands with them, and remembering to stand at least 1.5 m away from them.
I would, however, argue that since these restrictions (I also dislike the word 'lockdown'), I've had more contact than usual with people. In the first week of staying at home, at least five people from my walking group rang me up, including one I don't see much on walks any more. Even now, I sometimes get three calls a day, plus e-mails. And I've contacted some older people, too, just to let them know that they may be out of sight, but they are not out of mind.
Surely, therefore, the social distance between people is as close as it ever was, maybe even closer, and this practice of keeping one's distance should really be known as 'physical distancing'. What do you reckon?
Musings on life, the universe and everything - including the English and German languages - by a Welshie in Germany.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
"Damn! I forgot to pack the mackerel!"
Yes, sitting on the coach heading towards Bavaria on 28 December last year, those words really did pass through my mind. I'd forgotten t...
-
I keep reading about how more and more people feel lonely and isolated. About how they often don't talk to anyone for days or even weeks...
-
I think one of the funniest words in the German language has to be 'giggle peas' or in German 'Kichererbsen'. Sadly, the Ger...
-
Thanks to my reading of some UK newspapers online, the new daily word game called Wordle has come to my intention. A German student of mine ...
"Physical distancing" us much more accurate.
ReplyDelete