Lockdown in Italy, 22 March 2020
Originally posted on my Facebook page on 22 March
I am very grateful for all the heartfelt messages of care and concern I have received recently. It means more than you know. But the truth is, I'm concerned more for each of you and my homeland than I can possibly express.
Yesterday I chatted with my Dad on FaceTime. He's 84 and still climbs ladders to repair his roof. He's the founding member of a bunch of locals called "The Pod" who take to the surf every morning in all seasons. My father is a man of impeccable manners, a man of faith, a man with a deep well of compassion, and a man who displays honour in every action he takes. He was one of the first lifesavers in North Caloundra, and the few existing black & white photos from those times reveal a handsome man with a serene smile. That is still the man I see before me to this day.
But my father has a compromised respiratory system from a lifetime of asthma. He has never let that stop him from living life to the full. When he wakes, he rises immediately and starts his stretching and gym routine. He then enjoys a heart-pumping ristretto with his wife who is blind and depends on him, not just for practical support, but for reassurance, for his well-timed dry humour, and for his warm love.
Yesterday he tried to place an order online for his groceries. Not only was there little available, as is becoming the norm, he also spent an hour waiting on the phone to resolve why his order wouldn't go through. It seems a new box has been added for people to acknowledge that it might not be possible to fill their order. He did not realise that this needed to be ticked before he could complete his order, just one more hurdle to jump over in an attempt to take care of his family.
He expressed no frustration or anger. He will take each step that presents itself with the same serenity he always has, because it comes from within. But this one simple thing washed me with sadness.
It's not because I am not there to help. It's because it doesn't have to be like this. There is enough to go round. This morning I shopped where the shelves hold everything he would have wanted and more. Here in Italy there is no lack and there is no anxiety. Yet in Australia the simplest of life's daily duties has become a fatiguing and overwhelming trial, particularly for the elderly.
If you think I am criticising the supermarkets you are mistaken. While you may feel compelled to offer your judgements on them or other "powers that be", I understand your frustration but I ask you with the greatest compassion to resist those thoughts now. This is not the time for judgement or blame. The people working in supermarkets around the world at the moment are our unsung heroes. But we have a problem and I wonder if we've tried to help, I mean really help.
Every problem has a solution, yet we expect the supermarkets to solve it without acknowledging they too have never faced conditions like this. And this is only one of the unforeseen problems arising in our society as we struggle to adapt to a new reality. I realise everyone has their own challenges at the moment, but we cannot overcome them on our own. Unless we reach out and ask "how can I help?" when we find something that is failing or someone who is struggling, we underestimate ourselves. I believe, amongst us, are the necessary ideas, energy and courage to solve any problem.
When countries around the globe closed their borders, we became more connected than ever. We all face the same challenges and we must navigate our way through the same uncertainties. Our world will not be changed most by the coronavirus. It will be changed by our ability or inability to accept our new reality and to reach the other side without losing our basic sense of decency, our compassion for each other, and our capacity to solve problems for the good of all. My father's story warns me that we are failing and this is what makes me profoundly sad.
This will not be over soon. In the coming weeks, months and beyond I'm going to reach out and ask "how can I help?" Because I want to help our country do better and be better. I know that we can do this together. We don't need to know where to start, but if we are willing we will find a way.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead
