NOTES FROM A PANDEMIC
I live in Melbourne. It’s a beautiful
city. I was born here. I have lived here my whole life. I
am proud to call it my home. Something else lives here. A
virus. Insidious, unwanted, and deadly. Covid!
I’m not a scientist, doctor, or epidemiologist. I’m not a politician. I’m
a resident. I know Melbourne’s streets, buildings, parks, and
gardens. I know its sandy beaches, the bay and the four seasons it
can throw at me in one day. I know it’s museums, its art, and its
libraries. I know the taste of food from around the world brought by many
settlers who also made Melbourne their home.
I am fortunate to be Melburnian.
In early October 2021, Melbourne is expected to break a record. The longest locked-down city in the world! I
am saddened by this record. I miss the
dinners with friends, I miss the hugs from loved ones, I miss the drives into
the country. I am dismayed by the
deserted streets, closed businesses, and abandoned face masks strewn on the ground.
Yet here I am. Locked in.
Perhaps vaccines could have been ordered earlier, quarantine
hotels been more secure, borders better controlled. None of this interests me. Being free of lockdowns is what I need.
The virus is a killer. The data speaks for itself. I believe the
health officials. If ignored this sinister, highly contagious virus will infect
so many our hospitals will rapidly be swamped, and many Melbournians will succumb
to this devious disease. I believe the health
experts when they tell me the best way to suppress the virus is vaccination. History
cries the loudest. Smallpox, cholera,
rubella. Without vaccinations, some of us would not be here today.
I respect freedom of speech, the opinion of others but not when it
denies the right to life. I respect the
right to protest but not when the message is hijacked by anarchists out for a
fight.
I am immensely grateful to the doctors and the nurses, the scientists
and the researchers, the police, and their families. I am thankful to all those who have faced Covid
head-on for my future; a future that may be different but one that is mine.
It is my responsibility to wear a mask, check in, get tested if
needed, quarantine if necessary and it is my responsibility to get vaccinated. I
need to do this to protect those that I love.
I am a resident of Melbourne.
I want my beautiful home back.
Signed - Joe
I am a bit teary after reading that. It is exactly how I feel, while recognising I am a privileged person.
ReplyDeleteI want to once again complain about traffic congestion, crowded public transport, streets too busy with people and the overdevelopment of our city. I should have been careful about what I wished for.
It is a tough time. We will get there Andrew.
DeleteCovid-19 is a World wide plague, so we must all do what we can to survive it. That means vaccinations, and thank God there is an effective vaccination, wear masks in public, and maintain social distance. We will get through this, but our lives will NOT be normal or as socially connected as before. BTW, beautiful photo with all those people on the pier with a splendid skyline in the background.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you feel.
ReplyDeleteSad times.
ReplyDelete