Coronavirus: WWII survivor gives inspiring advice to cope during lockdown
5 April 2020, 09:41
Robin is WWII survivor and speaks to Matt Stadlen
This heartwarming call from a WWII survivor puts the coronavirus crisis into perspective. Robin gives listeners advice for how to cope during lockdown.
Robin, who was a child when World War II was going on told Matt Stadlen about how it felt to live through a serious global event and compared the Covid-19 outbreak to the war effort in the UK. He told listeners that for him, laughter is the best medicine and although it is important to understand the importance of the occasion if you cannot laugh, it isn't worth fighting.
"I can remember at night the sirens would go and the air raids would start" he recalled for Matt.
Matt wanted to get an impression of the fear that Robin can remember from WWII and if he can compare it to the fear he has during the coronavirus crisis, if he is afraid.
Robin laid out the process his family would go through when practicing for raids by the Germans but then mentioned the moment the fear of war finally hit him.
"I remember my mother saying 'they're here'" Robin said, and it was after then that he felt fear for the war for the first time.
When Matt pushed to find out if Robin was worried about the coronavirus outbreak, he assured the listeners and Matt that he wasn't concerned whatsoever.
Robin pointed out that he falls into the at-risk category on account of his age and told Matt that he is staying home without contact with anyone but his wife.
He added that he is "keeping occupied throughout the day" by continuing his hobbies of drawing and writing.
Robin and his wife are "looked after extremely well" as he told Matt that his son lives next door and is sure to provide them with food and medicines.
He told Matt that he often calls friends of his to discuss the outbreak. "We laugh and say 'well its just like' 'do you remember when'" when speaking about coronavirus and comparing it to WWII.
Asked for his secret, Robin revealed to Matt that "laughter is the best medicine" when coping with a crisis of the scale of coronavirus.
He acknowledged that it is a very serious moment in world history but assured Matt that "there are moments when one can laugh" during a crisis like this to keep sane.
