After enduring more than 100 days in an extremely strict lockdown, Melbourne is beginning to emerge from its slumber. In the early days of this particular bout of isolation, people were hopeful that the level of pain to be experienced in the next 6 weeks to come would well be worth it for the freedoms we would gain on the other side. I don’t think anyone could have imagined that 6 weeks would turn into almost 4 months. It’s difficult to describe to people interstate or outside of Australia the level of difficulty, of sadness, of frustration and extreme isolation that Melburnians have had to face within this 4 month period. The lack of control has seen us go on a rollercoaster of emotions that can vary anywhere between sadness, apathy and loneliness to extreme levels of anger, resentment and bitterness. As we have hope for what this weekend may offer, I wanted to take the time out today to reflect on what we have already overcome.
Being a citizen of Melbourne, since July, this year seems to have taken on an increasingly tainted level of pariah status. We’ve never felt more alone or isolated, or for that matter unwanted. I recall the shift in emotions in myself during this period. I’ve had to mute Instagram stories of friends and family who are interstate because watching them being able to see their loved ones, travel freely and socialise without restrictions has triggered me in ways I didn’t see coming. I also found that I couldn’t stop the bitterness within my voice when people from interstate would apologise for being late to our virtual meetings because they were out with colleagues at lunch. I could hear myself responding somewhat begrudgingly by saying, slightly under my breath but loud enough for the them to hear, “well…… it’s nice to be able to go out for lunch and sit in a restaurant with friends ISN’T IT?! I just couldn’t stop myself.
As we acknowledge all of these difficulties and the subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, changes in our behaviours, I think it’s important to also take stock at this time. We’ve been through a lot. For most of us, we haven’t seen our loved ones since July. We haven’t been able to interact with friends, to embrace them and speak to them about things that are not consuming us as COVID has. We’ve been unable to work, to apply our trade. We’ve felt lost, unmotivated and without purpose. Without being able to showcase our creativity, or connect with our communities. We’ve given up that quintessential foodie culture and that incredible sensation of sitting in restaurants with those we love and sharing our stories over that all encompassing element that brings us together, food. We have watched as our partners, our family members, our children become more and more despondent with each passing day and every missed deadline for reopening. We’ve lost faith or questioned our belief in our leaders and we’ve wondered when this will all end. But what have to remember is that within all of this, we have still endured.
Yes we may have grumbled, we may still be grumbling but that uniting sense of pride for our city has not left us. We have overcome a debilitating period of loneliness and isolation to be standing so close to some semblance of freedom and normality. Within all of this, we have managed to keep a sense of community, we have sacrificed in order to protect the more vulnerable elements of our society. It is my hope that we emerge reinvigorated, grateful and with a sense of purpose to rebuild. I believe that our city will be great once more, that we will be able to connect as a society again and that everything we have undergone in the last 4 months has made us personally and collectively stronger. I’m so proud to be Melburnian and to call this place home and I look forward to what the future holds for us and this great city.
Sx
I blog for Change. 