Staying socially connected while we maintain safe physically distancing.

What changes are the current restrictions having in your life? Is it hard to know what day of the week it is? Do you now spend more time on your devices? Maybe you are busier than before? Some people are trying to work from home and are also juggling the competing demands of bored children.  Children who are coping with the new concept and experience of online homeschooling. Perhaps you work in an industry or occupation which is still operating. The kids are home from school, and of course, they can't go to their grandparents as they usually would as their grandparents are in a vulnerable group! The situation is different for everyone. I feel truly blessed to be living in a house with my own outside space, food in the pantry and people who I care about surrounding me.

I think it is vital to take a moment and count our blessings, I am very conscious that home is not a safe space for some people, and I worry. I worry about everyone who has lost their jobs. The stress and strain about how they will cope once these restrictions are eased must be enormous. I worry about the children who are missing the opportunity to learn and experience the ups and downs of school life. In some countries, this may mean that they are also losing their main meal of the day, so I worry. I worry about all the health care workers working in busy hospitals and having to cope with the risks to their own health. I worry about the business owners facing possible financial ruin after closing their businesses down during this current crisis. I worry about our politicians and lawmakers, and I hope that they will have the good sense to know when and how to help and the courage to work together for our common good. I worry about my family, and I fear for my friends.

One of the crucial ways we are learning to stay safe is by 'social distancing' what a shame that this concept wasn't more accurately named – 'physically distancing' – socially; we are truly blessed to have so many ways of connecting. The 'new normal' that we are all still coming to grips with includes many forms of catching up with friends, family and business colleagues. Most of these technologies have been available for years, but now we are being pushed out of our comfort zones, and new words, like, Zoom, Webex and Teams, just trip off our tongue. I am interested in seeing what changes will stay and what will be rolled back once the current restrictions are eased. 

Whole new topics have sprung up on YouTube – 'getting ready for your Zoom meeting', 'looking professional in your next online meeting'. So funny, things change so fast, and it is difficult to imagine them just disappearing, so what changes are here to stay?

So I encourage you to reach out to someone you know, someone who may be alone or older.  Reach out through the phone or online, drop food at people's door, check on neighbours - stay safe but stay connected.  

Is it time to review the way we comment online.

I know this isn’t a new idea however the current noise around the many world events and local tragedies has forced me to put pen to paper – or in this modern age – fingers to keyboard!

It’s not new to comment on the way people comment on FB posts and other Social Media and online forums. But really, although the comments are sometimes warm, accepting and encouraging they are very often mean, nasty and even spiteful, so much more so than compared with the comments that people would dare to say in person?  

In Australia, this is so very different from the much-lauded ethos of a ‘fair go’.  Is this just the faceless nature of social media? If it is, then, we have a lot to answer for as we embrace all of these new mediums with little or no thought to the ways in which they are changing our social mores forever, impacting on the boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable behaviours and changing the way civilised people socialise and engage in debate.  

I am sometimes truly shocked to read the comments that people are prepared to make on social media, and they make them from their accounts which are often unsecured social profiles with an alarming amount of personal details – do they realise?

I’ve recently read an opinion piece written by Amy Carr in which she describes the abuse, she received after details of her action against a barber for discrimination became known – she claims that the abuse included rape & death threats!

Is Social Media changing society mores this much – last year we commemorated the 100^th anniversary of Armistice Day perhaps we should remember the way the world changed during two World Wars - people blindly followed hateful speech and behaviour.   Profound changes to societal norms followed and the defence forces, normal civilians and even children were all caught up. What followed, as we all know, were acts of barbaric cruelty, all committed in the name of allegiance to some power or demigod who preached ideology which supported these acts.  This type of environment allows sociopathic behaviours to be normalised and changes society forever.

Never has it been so important to truly know yourself and to have a strong moral compass. Principles should be stronger than circumstance, a conviction is not something that we change to suit the current moment.  Oprah Winfrey said, "Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not."  Well put – even when no one is watching – listen to your inner voice, don’t let it be drowned out by the loud modern world that surrounds us.  We can all be better than this – when a disaster strikes the evidence is all around.

We really need strong leaders, people who are guided by good and moral thinking, not self-interest and expediency – am I just a dreamer?  Maybe so but we certainly need to question the ideas and the sentiment around us, even the language being used.

 Ideology is a notion best left with the gods in heaven not practised by mere mortals here on earth.

Doing my small bit.

The adage: "May you live in interesting times" is a quote which is usually attributed as a Chinese curse.  When you review the literature, it doesn't appear that there is any basis for that, yet it certainly exemplifies the times we are living through.

For most of us, I pray that this is a 'once in a lifetime event', quickly and quietly, our way of life changed; maybe forever.  A virus had been detected,  then they realised how quickly it could spread and how disastrous the results could be.  We realised that the danger was not just for the patient but also because of the infection rate to the whole health system, which could buckle under the weight of new cases. 

Close contact was quickly identified as a significant infection risk. The warm connections we once shared when greeting friends and colleagues became a thing of the past, new ways to greet friends and social acquaintances had to be adopted.  Very quickly, governments in democratic, liberal nations enacted legislation and policies to limit personal freedom, liberty and movement.  Closing entertainments venues and events, closing big and small businesses, churches and schools.  Right-minded people weren't objecting they embraced the changes and looked for ways to make these new social and economic realities as meaningful and productive as possible.  Businesses looked for new ways to operate and to maintain relationships with customers. 
Governments looked for ways to soften the blow for individuals, families and businesses while maintaining their continued focus on health care and health care workers.  

A Herculean task.  As an Australian, I am incredibly grateful and pleased to see the results in our country, through our joint efforts, we are lowering the infection rate and flattening the curve.  My contribution to these tasks is just to stay at home and wash my hands – sounds easy!  Although this contribution seems so trite, it isn't; this is a deliberate action.   I have acknowledged the risk, and I know that I can't contribute to the tasks required. However, I can stay at home, minimise the risk to myself and my family  and do my small part in fighting this terrible virus.