LodoFOMO – it’s a thing don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
I was talking to one of my brothers the other day and he wanted to know how I was spending my lockdown days. A conversation we’ve had before, but I went through my typical (every) day – some exercise to start off – maybe a bit of skipping or a workout video, lazy breakfast, do some work, go for a walk, bit more work and that’s pretty much the day done. He said this was along the lines of his days – although I don’t think he’s a skipper.
All very comforting because the crux of it is we both have this dread that when we emerge from lockdown, we’ll find out that everyone else has done some amazing something with their time. Imagine the scene, sat round the table at a lovely BBQ when friend A announces that they have just passed level 7 of their horticultural course, friend B congratulates them on their achievement, says they are level 5 but they have achieved master status in water colour painting and they are waiting to hear whether the RA will accept their latest work for the summer exhibition. And me? Well I can do a Sudoku on my phone quite quickly…….
Many a zoom is spent discussing what TV programmes we are watching – have you seen Schitt’s Creek – it’s a hoot! Didn’t watch the Queen’s Gambit- why on earth not? Then with local friends it’s all about where we’ve found for a walk – the lockdown equivalent of coming back from a trip to New York and having to admit you’ve not been on the Highline.
It’s all part of the LoDoFOMO (lockdown fear of missing out) – that nagging doubt that your own tedious life is somehow more tedious than anyone else’s. Lockdown has shown me a lot of things I don’t want to do rather than what I do want to do – not so keen to write the book I always thought I wanted to do but hadn’t got the time; banana bread – no thanks! My main activity seems now to be light at the end of the tunnel monitoring – don’t get me started on vaccine envy!
The New York Highline (in case you missed it!)