What a weird, nonsensical year it has been. If you are reading this, then congratulations on making it through! I hope that you are, above all, safe, healthy, and not too traumatised by the experience. This will be my last post for 2020, and it’s incredibly difficult not to take this short time to stop and look back at what we’ve just come through, especially given the latest restrictions and lockdowns announced around the Christmas period ('late' being the operative word, here...).
Having taken my final exams in December 2018, I thought that it would be a good idea to do a lengthy final project – a simple premise, but with the scope to collect A LOT of data. And although I’m not saying that I’m not proud of what I presented, hindsight is a wonderful thing: had I chosen a shorter time frame I could have been in a position to start my business properly in early spring 2019, or even late winter 2018. Instead, I received the news in the middle of this year’s lambing season that I had passed (with distinction, astonishingly!), but little did I or anyone else know that just over a month later the world would be slammed sideways by something that, until now, has only ever happened in the farfetched plots of B-list disaster movies.
And it changed – EVERYTHING. The world quite literally stopped as it was locked down to prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed. Traffic all but disappeared from the roads and it was a novelty to spot a single plane in the sky. There were wild goats roaming the streets in Llandudno. People had to adjust to working and learning from home where they could, grappling with technology and the ‘home office’ dress code. There were apocalyptic scenes in supermarkets where people actually fought over toilet paper and stripped the shelves bare in sheer ignorance and panic. And behind all this was the terrifying reality of a disease which no-one had heard of, spreading like wildfire and rendering society numb. 2020 has been bleak and confusing for most, utterly heartbreaking and life-changing for others.
Physio was not classed as ‘essential’ work, and only emergency welfare appointments were permitted. All of the animal musculoskeletal manipulation and therapy authorities had to add extra precautions and outline the risk of Covid to a practitioner’s risk assessment, and until July no-one was doing anything more than keep their horses ticking over. Seminars and training days were cancelled, new projects put on hold and day to day work stopped. Everything was firmly on ‘pause’. The vast majority of physiotherapy practitioners (myself included) are in the self-employed bracket, which meant that there was little financial help forthcoming from the government, at least initially.
Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not using this blog to whinge or whine – there are countless others who are so much worse off, and all those petty aspirations for personalised clothing and sleek advertising were well and truly kicked into perspective by what we have all gone through this year. There are thousands of people having to somehow pick themselves up and carry on, despite personal tragedy and hardship. As I write this there is the very real prospect of a viable vaccine becoming more widely available in the next few weeks, but it is going to take much longer for hearts to heal and businesses to recover. I know how lucky I have been this year and how lucky I am still, now. Lucky to have had friends to (metaphorically) lean on all the way through; to have generous neighbours who re-imagined pub-nights; to have my indomitable Mum who sums up everything that is good about the NHS; to have a patient husband, a clean bill of health (touch wood), and an exasperating but hilarious pony; and so lucky to have you, too, if you’re reading this. Thank you for standing by me and for reading my random waffling.
In this bizarre year we have come together on Thursday evenings to applaud those who have looked after the rest of us. We have learnt new things to be thankful for, like simply being able to ‘see’ our families; and rediscovered old ones, such as the simple pleasure of being outside. We have also learnt that some things just never change, no matter what, and these can often be the most comforting. For instance, Val has once again diligently reminded all of us of how many ‘sleeps’ it is until Christmas Day (beginning in April), and I strongly suspect that she has had her Christmas tree up and her flat decorated like Father Christmas’ grotto since Bonfire Night. I can hardly think of anything more normal!
Having looked back, it's more important than ever to look to the future as well. I can't wait to really get started (again!), and there are some really exciting prospects on the horizon for next year. I can't wait to share more with you all, and the first post of 2021 will be here in January, where I discuss handedness in horses (and yes, I will meet the deadline!!).
Merry Christmas, everyone. From the bottom of my heart I wish and hope that you have as wonderful a festive period as you possibly can, however you are able to celebrate it. Here’s to a much brighter and more positive year in 2021.
Stay safe, I shall see you all on the other side. Jess.
Steph with Flora, Val with Annie, Father Christmas with Billy, and yours truly with H.
In loving memory of Annie.
J. Eyres Equine Physiotherapy
December 2020
Well that was lovely made cry but well said and Annie always in our hearts 💕 ❤