Uncertain times in an ever-changing world
One north coast local offers her perspective on the circumstances we find ourselves in…
Eight days ago, I had a good laugh when a Sydney friend posted on Facebook about going to a gym class and seeing a woman wearing colourful rubber dishwashing gloves. I thought the world had gone mad but in just a matter of days, the world as we know it has changed greatly. It feels as though we’ve stepped into a movie – it’s that surreal.
That’s what happens in the movies…
But where’s the Tom Cruise / Brad Pitt character jetting in to take us all away to that far away island until the threat has passed and there are no more cases – anywhere. That’s what happens in the movies…
I’m torn between wanting to find up-to-date information but dreading what I’ll then discover when I click on the relevant news sites or turn on the television about the rise in cases, fatalities and the ever-changing global circumstances.
The decision would have been made for us
I’m sad that the once in a lifetime trip to Africa that had been planned for months with three generations of our family travelling, cannot go ahead. We were on the three-week countdown when the news came through from the travel company that everything had been postponed. Since then, even if they hadn’t made the call, the decision would have been made for us with the first-ever travel ban in Australian history.
My heart breaks
My heart breaks for people who have already lost loved ones to COVID-19. I feel for Aussies unable to fly overseas and spend precious time with a friend or family member they may not see again due to illness (unrelated to this virus) and for those unable to attend long-awaited celebrations like weddings and other milestones. I think of people who can’t take their intended flight to attend a funeral to grieve and say goodbye to someone they cared about. I think of the countless non-Australians who were holidaying here and can’t get home to be with their families at this time.
Give a little thought to those people in our communities
I’m confused by the panic buying across Australia, in locations that are yet to see any cases whilst countries heavily impacted (with people not in isolation) have fully stocked shelves. It seems toilet paper is as sought after as booze during the Prohibition era! Perhaps, before you go mad for that packet of pasta or can of beans, think about people who work in social services, who care and buy for those who can’t get to shops themselves. Give a little thought to those people in our communities with a greater need than you.
It’s a strange time
All of the extra-curricular activities the kids partake in have been cancelled or postponed, winter sports have been put on hold by the various governing bodies and then there are the festivals, major sporting events, fundraisers, concerts – the list of what is not happening here and around the world goes on and on. Of course, I understand why. It’s a strange time.
Like many working parents, I’m wondering what happens if schools close. It might be challenging to be a productive employee (I work primarily from home) whilst three kids with cabin fever bicker down the end of the hallway but in the scheme of things, it all comes down to family.
My hopes
My hope is that my parents, aged 81 and 79 respectively, stay well and that my son with respiratory concerns is not impacted. I hope the five of us and our families and friends also remain well. Surely, what really matters when you look at the big picture is our own health and the health and safety of those we love most.
I’ve no doubt it’s the same for everyone, that we are united in that wish.
A waiting game…
A matter of weeks ago, few of us had heard of coronavirus but it is what it is. It has become a waiting game. Here, for now, our day-to-day still feels relatively normal. How I’d love that to last…