DAY 24:WE CHANGE QUICKLY

Andrea 24– Hi Miriam, I hope you’re still balancing yesterday’s crystals on your head, cause today I’d like to talk to you about speed: how do you measure Covid’s speed? Measuring how quickly the virus is spreading, in my opinion, doesn’t totally return the sense of acceleration all the processes of our lives have had, 24 days ago now. Quickly is the way our parents downloaded and learned how to use the apps to videocall. Quickly is the way the groceries shops in our neighbourhood went back to having the errand boy for home deliveries. Quickly were those teachers that went from the school registrar to online lessons platforms. Quickly were you actors that mounted your phone on a tripod to show us the real life of your home through Instagram, in a tv series we are all starring together in our homes. Quickly were personal trainers, that brought us virtual mats, barbells and exercise bikes at home. Quickly were the changes in the production lines of the companies that usually make clothes and accessories and that now are making medical masks. Quickly we have changed, you and I, in this relay that we started more than three weeks ago (see day 1), just the two of us, and that today is joined by many. Quickly we got used to dressing up even at home, after the first three days wearing tracksuits and sweatpants. Quickly we went in and out of the balconies, quickly we cried for a day and stopped to adapt. Quickly, in fact very quickly, doctors and nurses all around the world are acting to get us out of this. Quickly.

Miriam 24 – It’s funny that tonight you are talking about speed, considering that I’ve been wondering all day about the reaction speed to my morning alarm.

Until a while ago, as I already told you, it was set at 6.15 am from Monday to Friday. The first, very quick thought, as soon as I heard it ringing, was to mentally jump from one daily commitment to the other, like a timetable. After reviewing everything, excited about the things to do, I would literally jump out of bed. Yes, excited, I used the right word. Me, renamed by who knows me #trottolinasempreinviaggio, I’ve always loved to squeeze it all in. The more my day was full of things to do the more I couldn’t wait to start, quick, without wasting a moment.

After 24 days of delayed morning alarms, sometimes even cancelled, and the big, huge temptation to go back to sleep, this morning I felt, again, a small, unexpected excitement in getting up. I thought of the few things to do, things that are now new to me but not less important, such as the Instagram lives, or read our blog night authors, and then reply to direct messages. Basically, to try and be close to those who are not, keep them company. How I can, given the moment.

And I thought again of our adaptability.

Quickly my emotions adapted to this new life, accepting its new rhythms, initially in spite of themselves, then slowly getting involved.

I’m almost getting used to these new days, where time passes quickly even without being always a spinning top on the go.

But how fast I used to go, with my suitcase, around the world, you, dear Andre, can’t even imagine.