A Retirement Blog by Caree Risover

 I know that many people associate a trip into the countryside as a unique day out. When you live permanently amongst green fields, however, a journey into a large town or city can generate equal novelty.  Hence,  accompanying Mister E to a hospital appointment today, there was the thrill of dual carriageways, large roundabouts, traffic lights, and the sight of multitudes of people, many of whom were drinking takeaway coffee as they walked. Leaving Mister E to face the staff-in-scrubs alone, I ventured across the road into a park. Perhaps as a countryside dweller it felt more enticing with its grass and trees than pounding pavements. I admit I was not disappointed by the bench seats beneath a myriad of mature foliage offering ringside views for people watching; there was a sculpture of sorts and, laid out as part of a trail alongside the pathway, an assortment of adult outdoor gym equipment. Yes, I tried it all, ensuring I remembered to sanitise my hands afterwards! It wa...

Normality is a word that seems to be bandied around with ever greater frequency in this the strangest of times. I wonder what it actually means for most people. I understand that if you have been furloughed, worked from home or even been stretched out in striving to maintain our health and care services that a reversion to one's accustomed workload executed in the pre-pandemic way might be an understandable interpretation. If, however, you are fully ensconced in retirement, how does conventional wisdom define normality? Freedom to do as you please, where you want, when you want perhaps.  Aung San Suu Kyi said "The only real prison is fear and the only real freedom is freedom from fear."  Clearly she had far more than pandemics on her mind when she wrote that. Nevertheless as debate rages about the prospect of opening up and the easing of restrictions, we must all be asking ourselves whether we want to seize the opportunity to walk through an open door (mask free) or is fe...