How things have changed in just four months

South Africa has been in lockdown since 27 March. That means I haven't ventured to the shops once in four weeks; the only time I went outside my gate was when I had to have staples removed following my recent back operation. When I reflect on the way time is passing, I am struck by

several things:

First, January feels like just the other day, and yet the way we behaved and thought in January belongs to another lifetime. This morning, I reviewed my goals for 2020. Among them were plans to travel to 2 overseas destinations and three local ones. I anticipated gathering a group of female friends together to have a mini-retreat and pictured us sitting around the braai on the edge of a dam, sipping wine and chatting about pedicures. Well, pedicures are a thing of the past, and even gathering with friends is forbidden.

Second, what I thought would define the future in January has practically been forgotten. Back then, we were focused on the Australian bush fires and increased load-shedding by Eskom. Today those fires feel like a distant memory and there is an oversupply of electricity, leading to a whole new set of complications.

Third, the word on everyone's lips in January was "present". We were all seeking ways to be more available, more visible, more out there. Now the buzzword is "connected", and it doesn't mean what it sounds like. Touching and hugging are out. Hand-shaking is no longer the accepted form of greeting. Even meeting together in a conference room is avoided if it can be replaced by a virtual conference call.

Fourth, what went for acceptable dress in January simply isn't appropriate anymore — and not because of the season changing. Back at the start of the year, we were fixated on having the right haircut, make-up or outfit. Today, it’s perfectly okay to go out in a face mask and paper cloak with hair that is lanky or showing a different colour at the roots. We call it proper placement of priorities. It’s all in the name of self-isolation and curbing the spread of the virus.

Fifth, introverts were the underdogs in January, whereas now they seem to have the upper hand. My experience has always been that being shy was a disadvantage because it meant I missed out on fun, adventure or golden opportunities. Now my ease with being stuck at home is an advantage. In fact, I've begun thriving since the world stopped being too busy to consider the deep questions of existence.

Sixth, what seemed like idealism in January is now our lived reality. Families are spending time together at home. People are returning outside to sit in the Sun and smell the roses. Company managers are teaching their children how to kick a ball and grow beans. Rushed Office workers are hunting down yeast for homemade bread. Computer operators are taking up knitting. Everyone is doing more reading and sleeping — except, of course the hardworking medical staff involved in fighting the virus, but even they are attracting more admiration and thanks than they did back in January.

We never imagined, outside of fiction, that such a dramatic change could occur in such a short time. It just goes to show that the impossible is possible. Not that we need to rely on catastrophes to recalibrate our thinking. It is enough to recognise that nothing can keep building and building forever without someday succumbing to the pressure of its own weight. Everything has a breaking point. The trick is to be sufficiently attuned to our environment to sense when The fragile balance of nature is being threatened and to pull back before the crash comes.