Page 51 - Through a glass brightly

was an exercise book (or a “jotter” as we say in Scotland) in which an 11-year-old, sitting in the cellars (?) had copied down from the blackboard the history of William the Conqueror. This, when bombs were falling on London all around her! We are living through historic times ourselves. I heard someone on the radio commenting that the letter from Boris Johnson was an historical document which she had put carefully away with her identity card.
So if I haven’t been able to join in with the Queen’s visit or the amazing theatrical production what have I been up to? Well, in a little bit of history, I have a student downstairs who is taking his final exams in what used to be called my “party room”. It can be entered from my lower garden through a door that I do not normally use. However, in the way of things, a degree of creep has taken place. Today, for example, he is sitting the first of five exams which, over the next few days, will be downloaded to his personal “box” from Glasgow University at 12 o’clock each day and he will have 24 hours in which to answer the exam and send it back. I have never known anyone who has worked quite so hard as he has in getting all his notes into such an order that when he sees the questions he can refer to them! Because it runs from 12 o’clock on the one day to 12 o’clock on the next day he has asked if he might stay the night and of course I have agreed. It is quite odd, with 55 years between us, to think I have a student in the house! This came about because a neighbour stopped to talk at the gate a couple of weeks ago. (Incidentally, this time last year she contracted what we think was meningitis, went into meltdown (sepsis), almost lost her life and has lost both her legs below the knees and part of both her hands. She is Professor of midwifery at Stirling University. She is now able to walk mostly without crutches, has been issued with an immobility car and taught how to drive it, has learnt the Dictation program which I am using to write this and got on with her life.) She happened to mention that there were three students in the flat across the landing from her and that they were finding it difficult to concentrate! And the rest, as they say, is history.
Other than that, my technological skills have gone through the roof. I cannot believe that at my age I am learning so many new things. Of course, everything takes five weeks the first time round and five minutes when I’ve got the hang of it. So, I have just conducted my first church discussion through Zoom which I accessed through my university account which meant that we could take as long as we liked! And we did! And I have learned how to make a PowerPoint presentation and save this as a movie. I am currently aiming to rival Hollywood. The results of all my endeavour have been put into Dropbox for those of you who have Dropbox. It is being broadcast at 11 o’clock on the 17th of May. Since it is about Julian of Norwich you may be interested in looking at the movie in Dropbox. I’m sorry that I can’t send it to those of you who don’t have Dropbox – the group has become rather big for another memory stick.
Once my student has “passed” his finals I intend transforming what was the 'party room' and is now a study room into a recording studio. For those of you who know what I’m talking about I am setting up a green screen so that when I speak into the camera I can have whatever background I like. Golly gosh - this is all clever stuff! Next stop Cannes.
It is very selfish to say this but the “lockdown” hasn’t made a great deal of difference to me. I still seem to be in touch with a great many people, speak to a great many people over the garden gate, I’m not suffering financially and I’m used to filling in my time. I don’t have any personal worries about the virus. I miss all the personal contacts such as the group which goes the pictures every week, the book group, endless friends with whom I have pre-theatre meals et cetera. And I miss being able to jump in the car and go off and check something which I have read about. But, really, these are minor issues compared with those facing many of my compatriots. And the hilarious and very clever, creative emails keep coming in! If anything, life is good! But I do realise that this is not so for everyone.
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