Lockdowns and Self Isolation

Truth be told for the likes of me this isn't much of an issue. Pisces and I are retired from the regular workforce and as a writer what work I still do is done from home on my laptop.

That said ordinarily we do go out and see other people. We go to the shops with even a grocery run usually involving us having a coffee at one of the multitude of coffee shops in the shopping centre and we get to interact with people on the checkout. We see someone we know walking past our place and they stop to have a chat, we go to the beach, maybe pop in next door to have a chat with the next door neighbours or they come into our place - we've known each other for many years and have a close relationship. We wander around the corner to where Virgo lives or she might drop in to see us with the children. We often meet up with them all at the playground in the park that backs on to our yard, or just go for a walk around it perhaps meeting up with other neighbours. It's a popular place place this park, and you can usually find pre-schoolers and their minders there. Once school is out and the older kids arrive there are even more people - and there are always dogs, lots of dogs, most of which we've known since puppy hood. Somewhat less pleasurable is a visit to the doctor but even that involves a quick and friendly chat with the receptionist plus a face to face meeting with the doctor. All of this has gone.

We aren't in the strict lockdown that is happening in many parts of the world here either. We are strongly  - and I do mean strongly - urged not to go out unless it's essential and most folk are abiding by those rules without much fuss while, given our age and health status we're especially aware of the potential risks and not taking any chances. Western Australia closed its borders to all but essential traffic weeks ago and the state has been divided up into a number of regions which also have closed borders and this has been very effective in controlling the spread of the virus in comparison to other states and parts of the world.

It does mean though, that in person social contact is severely limited and with it all of the normal daily interaction with other people has gone. In the last six weeks apart from Virgo or her husband dropping off our grocery shopping and a couple of visits from her, Miss Four as she is now and the baby when we stand just outside our door and they stand further up the drive way, we have seen only an electrician for an electrical problem, a few delivery people who drop things at the door and scarper, the government supplied cleaner and one of our neighbours who occasionally brings food and drops in a newspaper once a week.  It made going to the doctor for our flu vaccination last week seem like a real outing. Sad, isn't it.

Because of this the internet and social media has become far more important. We do make phone calls locally - the speaker phone is a wonderful device for the technophobes like Pisces - but we also have family and friends scattered across the world and some in other regions of the state. This is where social media helps us keep in touch and video calls mean we can actually see who we're talking to. This makes a huge difference especially when you're talking to a small person who wants to show you what she's been doing.

I've often thought social media gets a lot of blame for what is not its fault. Of itself it's just a means of communication and so is just as open to abuse as any other form of social interaction and I'm very sorry for anyone who experiences bullying or other cruelty through it. For me, though, with health problems that can mean going out to socialise can be difficult, even impossible at times, social media is a blessing. I often spend more time in contact with many of my friends on social media than I do in real life and the way we're forced to live now is no exception.

A friend asked today is there a silver lining for us in this time of lockdowns, social distancing and fear and mine has to be that with all that is terrible that is going on in the world and that we can expect to go on in one form or another for some considerable time I am, through technology, able to stay in close contact with my family and friends. No waiting for months for letters to arrive from overseas or receiving bad news in a telegram.  We know what is going on almost as it happens. Those who suffered through the influenza pandemic in 1918 did not have this easy access where you can literally be in contact every day but we do and every day I am grateful for that.