If you're Australian, you'll probably be either Victorian and *crying* that we're in a state of emergency again or sympathising with us for being in this state yet again. You probably *know* it could have happened in your state too, or even that it might again. And having *been* in lockdown before, you understand how traumatic it can be. So we're all like - ugh, here we go again. For flying duck's sake. 

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/riverflows/598wfbaF-image.png)
<sup>[Image Source](https://www.theage.com.au/national/education-schools-are-unable-to-comply-with-guidelines-20200322-h1mr1r.html)</sup>

We're blessed here, living on 5 acres - we are surrounded by trees and sky, and have a million projects we can do, and are happy to do. It feels like it can be a productive time, and it doesn't matter so much I can't really see my family for 6 weeks - we were overseas for longer, so we know it's not *really* a big deal to not hug them for such a long time, although we'd love to. We can walk *most* of the way around town without wearing a mask, though we're meant to - but if no one is around or no one can see you, we'll be mask free sucking in that fresh air, thanks very much. I can't *breath* with that thing on anyway. Perhaps it's psychological for a girl who's struggled with her breath as an asthmatic all her life. Perhaps it genuinely *is* hard to breath with a covering over your face. Don't judge me. 

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/riverflows/IJmrrrbC-image.png)

And there's the problem. 

The state motto - the nation's motto - at the moment is something like 'together but apart.'. Forgive me for not googling the exact propaganda, but I'm done with government websites - we've read enough to know what we can and can't do. 

But it's hard to see how we're 'together' when we can't see each other's faces. It's hard to see how we're together when we can't stand around in small groups and chat, like you'd do at the shops or at the beach. It's especially hard to see how we're 'together' when I see such vitriol online. 

Before you suggest this, I'm vowing to stay off socials for 6 weeks, bar our [instagram account for Buttercup the Landrover](https://www.instagram.com/buttercup.109/) where all I see is - landrovers.  It's psychologically *distressing* for me to see how people are turning against each other in their fear and darn *fed up-ness*. They're exhausted and tired and want this all to be over, and that sometimes stop them being human beings. *And these are people I know!*. Instead, they become spitting banshees and demons, fiercely *raging* against perceieved community transgressions and the *evils* of those who have *ruined it for the rest of us*. 

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/riverflows/Pqcnwive-image.png)
<sup>[Image Source](https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018664741/cartoonist-michael-leunig-simplicity-is-beautiful)</sup>

And it sounds awful. 

Stay the *fuck* at home. 

Wear a *fucking* mask. 

And *how dare* people gather in (smallish) groups for a picnic, or go to Bunnings (our national hardware store), or work more than one job, or stay at their holiday house in Lorne when they 'should' be in Melbourne. 

I'm more fed up with how people *talk* about each other and make huge, sweeping judgements without truly understanding people's circumstances. 

Getting a $300 payment to stay home whilst your results come back from a test doesn't always feed a family. And people who work in nursing homes sometimes *need* to work more than one job, increasing risk of community transmission. And sometimes people who have asthma *can't* wear a mask, because they can't breath. And that couple in the holiday house on the coast *may have been there since the start of lockdown becauase the husband is recovering from an operation*, and they choose to isolate on the coast instead of an apartement, and they haven't been out in months (I know these people), as you would if you were in this situation. And that abbatoir in Colac, where the actual offical advice fuck up was to go just live your life whilst waiting for the test? Sheesh. 

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/riverflows/kLRqICY1-image.png)
<sup>[Image Source](https://www.leunig.com.au/images/recent-cartoons/help-quick.jpg)</sup>

Yes, there's a few people that may have blatantly done the wrong thing, but stop reading headlines who *rely* on raising your heart rate to make money. 'Couple stays at home' is unclickable . 'Couple stays at holiday house' gets the morality police outraged. How *dare* they, the keyboard warriors write, likely secretly *jealous* that they don't have a choice, and they'd love a holiday house to stay in to break up the monotony and the upset they can't go to Queensland this year with the fam. And then there's the people who plain just don't get the seriousness of it, or the enormity of it, or even what's required of them - hey, instead of compassion and education, let's just raise the hate level by calling them all morons. And the friend who was furious with everyone for going to Bunnings - really, really annoyed - and got annoyed at me when I told her that there had never been an outbreak linked to Bunnings. 

There's actually no end in sight to the vehement, vicious, angry judgements I see going online. Even people close to me have their best judgey on, and I'm forced to change the conversation because I'm fed up with *their* judgey, because it's wearning me down, and I start getting judgey on their judgey. 

We're not *really* in this together. We're all actually in different situations, different life circumstances. We're not even being nice to each other.

And then I slap myself and remind myself that's just the online world. I'm sure there's a million people like me just getting on with things. I'm sure there are lots of people being loving and positive and caring and compassionate. I'm sure there's a vast majority of people wearing masks and 'doing the right thing' - far more than the media would have us believe, because they just want to 'get this done' and get back to their lives, their futures. 

Us? We're going with the flow. There's no point resisting. 

But I'm not getting involved in any of that bullshit propaganda, moral signalling and judgements that I see some Australians taking part in, and I'd hope that you check yourself before *you* start at that too. 

There's just no need to make this worse that it already is. 


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