Lockdown in reverse

I’m reluctant to speak too soon about fully coming out of lockdown, even though it seems like that’s already happened.
Looking out of my window at the Sunday foot traffic heading towards Hampstead Heath, strolling crowds are back to what they were, bar a face mask here and there.
Our high street is pretty much back to normal. Picnics seem to be growing in size and a pub round the corner has started selling plastic pint glasses to pavement-steppers. I think we can probably say it’s over.
It’s not, of course, and might not be for some time; ask any member of the medical profession and they’ll tell you to move forward gently. Caution is still top of the keywords for most of my family and friends. Those who’ve held onto jobs are still working from home where possible, and I only have Zoom meetings in the calendar, nothing at all face to face as of yet. A September running event just moved itself to 2021. Still: there does seem to be a work-shaped spring in everyone’s step.
Many wondered, at peak lockdown, if life would go back to normal or if the world would change forever. Not all of my projects are brand new, some were merely put on hold but even so I do feel things have shifted imperceptibly.
I don’t write from the same brain, I don’t have the same work vision as I had at the start of the year. Hard to say why: perhaps gratitude plays a part? I’ll definitely always be looking over my shoulder to check I’m not being chased down by a lockdown tornado.
So I think ”proceed with caution” is probably a good statement to follow, as is my school motto of “onwards and upwards”. Hope your summers are starting to look up – cautiously, obvs.