The Rule of Six: PETE

Like many others, Pete found it quite difficult in the first lockdown when no one was allowed to visit and see each other in person, but he tries his best to get stuck in to each day and refuses to let the day drag him down.

Having been in hospital when the first lockdown began, Pete was shocked to find that the supermarkets were cleared out when he returned home and he was surprised that people couldn’t get certain things from the shops. Fortunately, his brother and sister helped him out with shopping after he left the hospital, coming round after work to look after him and make sure he was alright.

Pete was really disappointed about not being able to go to Carlisle United Football Club to watch a match and support his local team because of the last-minute change of rules that stopped fans going.

To get out in the open air and take his mind off things, Pete once drove to Silloth on a stormy day to sit on the seafront, hoping to catch sight of the ships thrashing about on the rough seas.

Making the most of his support bubble, Pete meets up in-person every now and again during the week with one of his local friends that he served with in the Regiment. They sit outside, socially distanced, to enjoy a cup of tea and a good chat.

Pete mentioned that discipline had been instilled in him throughout his whole life from his military experience, so he’s learnt to just “get on with it”. He also shares that common sense is vital in the army and believes that it is just as crucial for getting through the pandemic.

Pete really enjoys catching up with friends from the Regiment and finds that it helps to take his mind off things. Although it’s not the same as meeting in-person, time often flies when chatting to some people over FaceTime because they each end up talking for hours!

Pete also has phone calls with other people that he’s served with in his platoon. He shares that although they may have not seen each other for years or they may have been out of the army for a long time, Pete still feels as though they were only serving together yesterday when seeing each other on video.

He loves the fact that he can connect with people on his iPad, but admits that his lack of patience sometimes doesn’t help when using the technology and he equally doesn’t want to spend too much time staring at a screen all day.

Take each day as it comes and do the best you can. It helps to fill your time doing things to occupy yourself.

Nobody knows what’s going to happen each day so you’ve got no choice but to just keep going and get on with it. It may be difficult, but it’s difficult for everybody - everyone is in the same boat as you.

Even though you’re confined to a house, remember that you have a phone or a computer to contact people to be able to get in touch with your friends and family - don’t forget that someone is just a call or message away! Seeing a happy face and talking to people can make the world of difference and definitely helps raise your morale.

Be sensible and have a bit of common sense.