“TERRY Waite knows a bit about isolation. As an envoy for the Church of England, he travelled to Lebanon in 1987 to try to secure the release of four hostages. He was himself kidnapped and held captive for almost five years. He was almost always alone, chained to a wall and with no communication whatsoever with the outside world.
“He describes that, after his initial capture, he was angry and frustrated. Quite quickly he learned that anger would do him more harm than good. He taught himself to live one day at a time and to do so as fully as possible. His guards thought he was mad when he placed his trousers under his thin mattress at night to press them and with no opportunity for physical exercise, he exercised his brain by starting to write a book in his head. That was his way of maintaining some degree of control.
“For most of us, whatever we are experiencing, it is not as bad as being held hostage in Beirut or fighting to secure Victory in Europe in 1945. We retain the majority of our liberties and we know that there will be a route out of lockdown. As Terry Waite said of the current situation, ‘You are not stuck at home, you are safe at home. And by keeping yourself safe, you are helping to keep others safe too.’
“Enjoy your long weekend and the freedom provided through the actions of many brave men and women.”