Or should it have been “Wow, weird, oh!”?

In 1988-89 school year in Naga College Foundation, I entered the play-writing competition with a play entitled, “Wow, weird-o”. I remember using the hyphen. Back then, I didn’t think “weirdo” was a proper English word. I was in my senior year in high school. I did not take home the first prize. No one won the first and second places; by play came third. We must have sucked and the school would not give away the bigger prizes.

Still I felt like a winner and I was proud to have my play produced and shown to the whole school. We had a fantastic acting club. I got to watch a few practices as I was consulted on some changes. The final product was quite excellent, not credit to me.

The weirdo was the main character who was based on me. I have believed for a long time now that I am rather a strange person. I have claimed “crazy/beautiful” as me; the beautiful being with respect to the crazy and not to me.

I am still strange and I am fine with it. On the first day of the third week of our lockdown in South Africa, as though it were normal, unlike what many click-happy people do, I took a picture of our rubbish bin.

Could it be because this third week was supposed to be the last week of our lockdown and now it isn’t anymore? Last night, our President announced an extension. We are back to the beginning: there are twenty one days of lockdown ahead. The fact that the lockdown is extended by another two weeks is a consolation; it could have been longer. I have a feeling though that the month of May will not be quite back to normal.

(This blog post was written on Friday, April 10, 2020, but for some reason, I neglected to post it.)

It is possible the weirdness is in our blood or genes? After taking the picture, I walked back to the bedroom laughing. My almost eight year old daughter asked why I was laughing. She wanted to see the picture. She said it was yucky. I asked if it was smelly. She smelled the image of the rubbish on my mobile phone and made a face exclaiming, “Ugh, smelly!”

The lockdown amplifies what is!

Happily, what is, or who we are, can make us laugh more. Our insanity might just keep us sane this month.

I hope you are all well and safe. Sending love and best of wishes during this challenging time.

God bless us all as we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Much love and hugs,

Anne J.