Corona Voluntary Lock Down

Having made the decision, as a family, to go into a self-imposed lock down, we’re facing the reality right now. Figuring that many people will be following (voluntarily or otherwise) I thought it might be useful to describe the challenges and triumphs that we face, so that others can feel more confident when they do, and even leading into it.

That means that what we see now, as the situation, is actually just the tip of the iceberg of where we’re really at.

Firstly, the reason why we’ve opted to 'go early' is this. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is now known to transmit before those infected show any symptoms. That means that they don’t even suspect they’re infected and don’t know they’re infecting others. Those other people they infected then similarly don’t know they’re infecting others. This is why the spread is exponential; because we’re actually spreading it for a couple of weeks before we even suspect we’ve got it. That means that what we see now, as the situation, is actually just the tip of the iceberg of where we’re really at.

We can each do something really significant, to change the outcome.

Scary right? Sure. But we can each do something really significant, to change the outcome. By now you’ve surely heard of ‘social distancing’. Basically it means keep your distance. Voluntary lock down, is just that. Stay away from others for a while. We’ll all be doing it at some point.

The sooner we do it, the smaller the spike in cases, the less the impact on the health system, the better we can look after those that are infected and the fewer people will die.

If we’re waiting for the government to be ready to act, we’ll be leaving it too late. Governments are not known for swift pro-action. They’re rarely swift and normally in reaction. There are just too many things for them to consider and agree on. For example they’re also trying to manage and minimise the ‘panic’. So am I. This is not a time to panic.

It’s a time to take action, as individuals, for our elders and for our community. I’m making decisions that make sense.

Kids might not be the ones most at risk of dying from COVID-19 (which is awesome) but they’re at higher risk of catching it and spreading it. Even when they know they’re sick, kids are not great at keeping their germs to themselves.

So why would sending them to school be a good idea, when we can homeschool them (better than we’ve even been able to in history)?

Why would we continue to have face to face meetings, when we could Zoom or Skype or FaceTime or make it a phone call or teleconference? Why would we go to the supermarket, when we could order online and get it delivered? Obviously the counter argument to all these questions is that staying home all the time sucks and we’ll get cabin fever and I like people and I’ll feel lonely. But this is life and death and it’s only temporary.

So, this is about learning what it’s like and finding safe ways to break the cabin fever and loneliness. I’m sure it doesn’t have to be like that and we're going to find a way. Love your help by the way, if you have some concerns or ideas. I’m also not saying there won’t be challenges or discomfort. But discomfort is the gateway to growth and to self-esteem. Anyway here goes …