'Dancing in the street was our way of connecting'
Kate Laister-Smith has been getting to know her neighbours during lockdown
We are undoubtedly living through a very odd moment in time. First, the country, and the world, stood still. We stayed at home to save lives, endlessly scrolling through news sites and social media for updates. We were looking for anything that provided a glimmer of hope – or, when that couldn’t be found, we simply sought new information.
And now that lockdown is over, we’re living in a weird sort of limbo. We’re no longer restricted to our homes but life is far from normal. We should still be two metres apart from everyone. But we should go out and spend money to boost the economy. Make sure you don’t get public transport to do that, though! But, now my local bus companies are going into administration because no one’s getting the bus. So maybe I should be going on public transport? The only thing that’s clear is that nothing is clear.
Well, actually, that’s a lie. Lockdown gave me a lot of time to reflect and something did become obvious to me: we need to rediscover the beauty of community spirit. Now, stop rolling your eyes and hear me out. I know that sentence makes me sound like your grandma, but I think reconnecting with the people nearby is just as important for us as it is for our elderly neighbours.
A few weeks into lockdown, at the end of March, a snazzy little leaflet popped through my letterbox. On it, in Comic Sans and surrounded by WordArt, we were told that our local dementia care home would be playing a song every weekday at 11am. And so began an unusual lockdown pastime for my family and neighbours. Just as our days lost any semblance of routine, we suddenly had a reason to get up before midday.
At first, we tiptoed out of our front doors and shuffled to the likes of the YMCA being pumped through a speaker on the care home’s driveway. By week three, we were all standing outside at 10.55, eager to let off a little steam and laugh with those around us. About 15 of us were consistent, out there no matter the weather or the day. Other families dipped in and out of the daily event. There could easily have been 30 of us in front of our houses on the busiest days.
At a time when we were only allowed to leave the house for an hour's exercise a day, this ritual became precious. On certain days, the staff at the care home came out dressed in special outfits. We had an Easter bunny drop a chocolate egg at the bottom of our drive. On VE Day, the staff wore Union Jack hats and waved little flags. The minutes between 11 and 11.05 were suddenly full of unfiltered, uncontainable joy.
Relationships that used to be restricted to a half nod and vague “good morning”s blossomed into real conversation. There was a couple across the road who’d moved in a few months before lockdown and whose names we didn’t even know. At the end of week one we were copying each other's dance moves. I found out my elderly neighbours’ favourite folk song as we broke out our instruments and played it for him. I learnt all about one neighbour's scuzzy university accommodation that he lived in 30 years ago.
We went from being a group of neighbours to a community of people, all trying to get through the same crazy situation. Dancing in the street was our way of connecting. Ten minutes up the road they were singing songs together each evening. Maybe for you it was the Thursday night clap for the NHS. Or the VE Day celebrations that seemed to thrive in a way they wouldn’t have otherwise.
Then again, lockdown might have made you feel isolated, surrounded by people that you couldn't relate to or don’t get on with. Although I found community in those physically near me, it isn’t such a straightforward concept. Luckily, community can be found in many different shapes, sizes and places. Any passion or interest you can think of will probably have a community online that you could engage with. I, for example, am a big fan of art. During lockdown I got involved with the youth programme at one of my local galleries. After seeing these people over Zoom for weeks, I might soon be able to meet them when the gallery reopens. I think it would have been a lot harder for me during lockdown if I didn’t have these different groups of people to engage with. It’s important that we all find our own communities – whether that’s in real life, or online – that can keep us strong and happy as we navigate this new world.
Right now, things are still unclear and out of our control. There’s talks of a second wave, even a second lockdown. We can’t know what the world will look like in a few weeks or months. What we can control, however, is the community we'll surround ourselves with during it all.
