We have all heard of natural and man-made disasters throughout history. The bubonic plague, World Wars I and II, the Great Depression, the Chernobyl disaster, 9/11, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2011 Japan tsunami, the list goes on.
But how many of us bogans from our small country towns in the Hunter Valley thought that we would be living through a worldwide pandemic?
Up until the end of last year, my biggest concerns were getting through university, and how I was going to balance going to the gym, going to uni, and going to work all at the same time.

Then, at the very beginning of the year, this thing called coronavirus, or COVID19 started hitting the headlines. Within weeks, it was all anyone could talk about. Soon, the fear and panic were spreading, and the restrictions were arriving on a daily basis.
Now, life is completely different. Turning on the television involves seeing constant live updates from the prime minister and the premier. Scrolling through social media involves being bombarded by photos and videos of people and children at home in isolation. Other posts include videos of people fighting over toilet paper in the supermarket.

Leaving the house is even more depressing. The world is a ghost town, and anyone who is walking around has to maintain a distance of 1.5 metres between themselves and others. A trip to the supermarket now requires walking through red tape and barriers, getting past a security guard, then using hand sanitiser upon entry. People are hostile, and supermarket workers are constantly on edge; frightened of copping verbal abuse.
Even social gatherings are now impossible without the use of virtual software. A trip to the parent’s house has to be accompanied with a “reasonable excuse”.
It almost feels apocalyptic. So many businesses have been forced to close their doors, while nearly every Centrelink branch has had queues halfway down the street.
However, one thing that has stood out for me through all this is the effect of a world with no people around. The water in the Venice canals are now clear. The air in China is the cleanest it has ever been. Thailand has seen monkeys in its streets, while Chile has seen a cougar! Check out the video below.

Just in case you were wondering, this is not a “How You Can Stay Safe From COVID19” post. Lord knows we get enough of that when we turn on the television or look at our phones. What I want to do is provide a little perspective.

As of today, there are over 1.7 million confirmed cases of COVID19 worldwide, 6,289 of those in Australia. The total current number of deaths worldwide sits just under 109,000. I don’t deny that the new measures are necessary to save lives. However, the sad fact remains that this pandemic has brought out the best, and in many cases, the worst in humankind. Who thought that in Australia we would be seeing punch ups in the supermarket over toilet paper and hand sanitiser?
In just about every war book I’ve ever read, even Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where everything about life has become so hard, dark and gloomy, I’ve found myself asking: In this situation, is life that much better than death?
I think the most important thing to remember here is that yes, we are going through a rough time and yes, no one will ever forget 2020 and yes, it will take years for the economy to recover. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

When?

I know about as much as you. The most important thing to do is keep your networks open. Don’t cut yourself off from the world. Keep your loved ones close to you. If this means having drinks over FaceTime on a Saturday night, or getting takeaway and playing board games on Thursday night, so be it.

So, in the spirit of optimism, I would like to wish all my friends out there a safe and happy Easter! Have some Easter eggs, have a picnic in the backyard, and try to enjoy yourself. Stay tuned for my next post coming soon!

All my love,
xoxo Brett