I noticed a distinct shift in June. I don’t know whether I had just become bored of feeling bored, but reviewing the month suddenly reminded me that actually I felt a lot more comfortable with being at home and that it has actually given me a lot of time to think, learn and enjoy this quiet period of time.

June: Reviewing the Month

We’re all aware of the horrific events in America that grabbed the headlines and our attention and threw the world head first into the Black Lives Matter movement. I have always been aware of issues surrounding racism and living in Oxford meant that I knew of the Rhodes Must Fall petition, but I remained uneducated about white privilege and that simply not being racist is not the same as being anti-racist.

I have always avoided voicing my opinions about race and colour for fearing of saying the wrong thing and inadvertantly offending, but now I realise that my silence was equal to being complicit. As someone who was bullied relentlessly as a child it always frustrated and upset me when I received no support from those around me, but now years later I realised that I had been doing the same. By keeping quiet I was allowing racist voices and actions to rise and be noticed.

This is why I have started to pay closer attention to the accounts I follow on social media, the books on my bookshelves and the brands and companies I want to support in future, I was suddenly aware of the overwhelming “whiteness” that I had been ignorant of beforehand.

However, something that has become key for me, is listening to my instincts and doing what feels right for me. This meant that I didn’t attend any protests, not because I didn’t agree with the fight but because there is still a global pandemic and I couldn’t bring myself to break the very clear lockdown restrictions that I have been following.

I’ve also been limiting my intake of news, from online and TV sources as it’s been depressing and infuriating. Ever since Dominic Cummings (a government advisor) decided he could break lockdown guidelines and travel halfway along the country, thousands of other people have been doing the same. Apparently because he ignored simple instructions and wasn’t punished then others are now using this as an excuse to visit beaches, visit family and friends and have garden parties.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I think the UK government has been pretty appalling at dealing with the whole pandemic situation. Hundreds of people are still dying each week, but at the moment it seems as though the biggest priority for some is whether or not they can get to the pub on Saturday.

How was June for you?

Let me know in the comments.