The bad – but with the potential to be better
Social isolation is particularly stressful for those who rely on going out in order to find company, connection, and care; the ones who live alone, or live with serious illness, their own or a loved one’s, those needing respite, the old, the frail, and the anxious.
These are the individuals that the mantra “STAY AT HOME” is trying to protect. The words are not necessarily directed at them, but at the idiots who do not – will not – follow the rules; who travel in large groups, who congregate in towns and offload in their hordes into National Parks. The idiots who put their own lives at risk by climbing and scrambling in the mountains, inadequately equipped, and expecting overstretched emergency services to bail them out.
These are the individuals that the mantra “STOP STOCKPILING” is trying to protect. While the selfish able-bodied are filling trolley after trolley with paper goods, frozen foods, cans and packets, and toiletries and medicines, there is little left for the vulnerable.
There is often little left for the front-line health care staff who work incredibly long hours, nor for emergency service staff, nor for others key workers who have unsociable hours.
There is a way forward but it takes commitment and that is a mindset that some just do not have. It is the mindset of “everyone’s doing it”, “I need …”, “I don’t approve but …”, “if I don’t have it someone else will”. I do not single out the young and able; there are thoughtless 30 and 40 somethings, myopic middle-aged, selfish 60-year olds, arrogant aged, opportunistic octogenarians, and entitled elderly.
This is the mould that needs to be broken. For the sake of everyone.
Rules and legislation are having to be enforced around the globe. That is a very sad state of affairs. Intelligent adults should not need to be ordered to stay safe and to keep others safe.
And yet despite directives people are still partying, packing into fast-food outlets, and congregating cheek-by-jowl on seafronts. Madness.
And so, within the last few days major social changes have come about: Bondi Beach has been effectively ‘closed’, MacDonald’s and Nandos have closed, supermarkets are restricting opening hours.
On a positive note, special time slots for NHS staff, for the elderly, and for the infirm have been put into place at supermarkets.
If you know of changes being made in your area please comment below. Hopefully it will soon be the case that there will be more positive actions than negative. I look forward to that day.
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Thank you for reading. Stay safe, stay well, stay apart.
marilyn unmasked 