This isn’t the editor’s note I thought I’d be writing. We face an uncertain few months.
I was going to say it’s unprecedented, but maybe that takes some of the older members of our community for granted, which is unfortunate as that’s been happening a bit lately. My grandparents lived through the Great Depression, followed by the Blitz and the Battle of Britain. In the former, they weren’t always sure if there would be enough food, during the latter they never knew if the next hissing, screaming bomb would slide down their chimney, or that of their neighbours. My parents lived through almost 10 years of post-war rations, whilst my parents in-law were off school for months in the 1950s when the polio epidemic hit.
The worst I’ve had to deal with was when Anne-Marie Schmidt broke my heart in grade 2, and that time they ran out of nacho cheese at Taco Bill.
But seriously, humans are a resilient lot. It’s not going to be easy or fun, but we will get through. Hopefully we all take the time to reconnect with those closest to us, whether they are in the same room or we have to talk online.
Perhaps it’s not the time to simply text people, email or Facebook message them, we should be using technology like Skype or Zoom so we can see each other’s faces; this will be important as the weeks (and possibly months) of isolation mount.
Some other potential positives could include some relief for the environment, and a chance for us all to stop, reflect and gain some perspective – maybe communities will replace corporations as the cornerstones of our society.
Whatever happens it’s going to be different, perhaps even difficult, so look after yourself and your loved ones, do what you can, do what you need to.
Derek Green,
Managing Editor, The Westsider
editor@thewestsider.com.au
