What is wrong with being respectful?

I want to take a step into the real world for a moment and tell you all a story.

Before Christmas I was out shopping with my mother in a Poundstretcher. Love that shop! Everything was perfect, and I overfilled my basket as normal. When we reached the checkout, we had to wait awhile as there was only one cashier working. We started checking out and I was chatting with the cashier and having a laugh. Two women in line behind me got closer and closer as I was talking, and I pulled my handbag in front of me. I am a naturally suspicious person and I hate people coming up behind me.

I continued trying to check out, but the women kept getting closer until one was practically hovering over my shoulder and bumping into my back. With the pandemic, I expect people to be more conscious of social distancing, but this is a bigger problem for me. I get claustrophobic, and as there was a wall of sweets to one side, the counter in front of me and my mother on the other side, there was nowhere for me to move and I noticed the warning signs of a panic attack.

As politely as I could, I asked the women to please move back, as they were too close to me. I thought nothing of it as I have done this before without an issue. The woman was ‘pissed’. She threw her items into a display basket and stormed to the exit. I stood stunned for a moment. Even the cashier stopped ringing up my items. Then I heard the woman shout ‘Get a life’.

My first thought was ‘I have one, and I'd like to keep it’, but I just apologised to the cashier for the lost sale and shrugged it off.

So why do I raise this now, you ask?

Simple.

In many places, covid restrictions are being dropped. Unfortunately, that leaves many of us more concerned than we were before. My mother is in her sixties and is considered high risk. My sister and I are at high risk because of medical issues. Mum and I have not been to a supermarket in two years and have only gone out of the house when it is necessary. We’ve had enough to! I know everyone is desperate to go out and have fun, but please consider others too.

For those of us who are at high risk, being outside in public is still dangerous. Keep your distance! If you don’t know someone, stay back! If someone asks you to back off, do it!

I ask this not just for those who are at high risk, but also for others, like me, who don’t like to be crowded.

Why do you need to look over my shoulder? Why do you need to be so close to me? Viruses cannot be seen, but neither can phobias or anxiety. Some of us like to have our own space, so back off and don’t make a scene.

Anyway! You all came here for a writing update, not a rant. Sorry.

I set myself a new challenge, as I have no intention of going outside unless I have to. I have a list of over 150 poetry styles and have decided to try them all. OMG, what was I thinking? It's fun, but I don’t remember my English teacher mentioning so many variations of poetry.

Hopefully, I will have this book out in a couple of months.

For those of you waiting for New Beginnings, (book 4 of the descendants without sin series) it’s with my editor! I don't have a release date yet, sorry.

Until next time...

Grab a book. Snuggle up and read. A good story can take you anywhere.

Just believe.