Earlier today, I had my headphones on and was typing away when I heard, “Dan!”
I peered out my third-floor flat’s window to see a cheery-faced couple down below. Some close friends of Maru and I had popped by to say a distanced “Hello!” while on their walk for the day.
I instantly had a flashback to when I was a kid. After Saturday sport and a hearty lunch, I’d usually hear a knock at the front door, and it’d be a collection of the neighbourhood kids asking me to come out and play.
The unannounced knock, the expectation that I’d be free, and the warm fuzzies from simply being asked to join, all make for a rich collection of emotions and memories.
When things were “normal”, we didn’t get this kind of serendipitous visit here in London. The commute was too far to risk travelling only to find your friend wasn’t home. And dinners or hang outs were usually organised weeks in advance.
But when there is little to do—or little time allowed outside—like this lockdown has afforded us, it’s heart-warming to see these moments of connection and serendipity creeping back into our days.