Simple Tasks Assume Increased Relevance In A Lockdown

When times are tough we often gain some degree of pleasure from indulging in seemingly small pleasures...

 As my home state of Victoria endures another week of stage 4 Covid lockdown, mask wearing is compulsory in public areas and you can only leave your home for work, food shopping. a medical appointment / emergency, or care giving, it means we must find solace is things pertaining to our place of residence and its surrounds. There is also a curfew in place, meaning we must be inside our dwellings by 8.00 pm each night.

We are allowed to leave our houses for up to an hour per day for exercise, but we must remain within five kms of home at all times. The situation will be reviewed on September 13 and if the numbers warrant, there will be some small loosening of the health guidelines. I am happy to comply with this because it is clearly for the greater good of the community. The daily infection rate has fallen from a daily high of 700, to 70 cases today. The majority of my fellow Victorians agree with the government action according to polls. I find this reassuring. Without a healthy and safe community, calls to save the economy becomes irrelevant.

I have noticed I am exhibiting a renewed interest for putting out our garbage bins each week. I am quite conscious of a rekindled enthusiasm for this mundane tasks of late. It is an outing after all and I will gladly take what is on offer right now having been in some form of lockdown since March 17th. 

Our driveway is 30 metres in length so taking the bins out has an air of ceremony about it. The whole process has resulted in a poem. Mind you, most significant occasions in my life tend to spark a poetic response of some form...


Bin There, Done That!

I'm taking the bins out tonight

It's quite an occasion you see

Something not to be sneezed at

For a sociable fellow like me


I'm living a life in tight lockdown

And clearly can't go very far

So the bins have become quite important

In my seven day repertoire


I approach this task with excitement

I am keen to leap up and shout

It's bin night everybody!

Tonight we're going out!


©Alan j Wright

*Rubbish/garbage bin = trash can


Aussies in coronavirus lockdown are dressing up for bin day

Some of my fellow Aussies have turned bin night into an extravaganza!




Comments

  1. Stacey Shubitz1 September 2020 at 21:11

    Wow, Alan! I didn’t realize you had such a spike in Australia. It is smart that your government is imposing restrictions to help slow the spread. Good, too, that your fellow Victorians are compliant!
    Over here, there are so many people who won’t wear their mask properly. I’m not sure what they think they’re accomplishing by wearing it below their nose!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright2 September 2020 at 09:25

      Stacey this response has been enacted to avoid the rampant spread we have witnessed in Europe and the US. It is all relative, but the numbers indicated a clear need to suppress the virus and so a very conservative response was undertaken. I have seen footage of the resistance to health regulations and it disturbs me too. We have similar views being adopted here, but they are largely viewed as Covid deniers and fringe elements happy to adopt an anti authoritarian stance regardless of its validity.

      Delete
  2. Chris & Dave2 September 2020 at 06:14

    Oh my! I love your poem and the accompanying pictures of bin night. Here’s to making lemonade out of lemons!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright2 September 2020 at 09:29

      Chris and Dave, I love your final remark. It sums up perfectly how we must endeavour to deal with these challenges we all face. Harder for some I know, but resilience, creative thinking and humour are powerful assets at this time. I am reminding myslef on a daily basis, to retain a sense of humour and optimism.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous5 September 2020 at 02:43

    It's clear that the strict measures give results. Everyone can give up some freedom temporarily for the greater good. Isn't it strange that with changed circumstances a smelly and usually boring duty has turned into a somewhat joyful escape? And gets enough attention to deserve its own poem. Wishing you continuous health. Hopefully you will get to take longer walks in near future.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright5 September 2020 at 15:38

      Thank you Terje. Tomorrow we find out if our efforts warrant some small measure of relaxed restrictions. Fingers crossed. In the meantime I shall continue to value bin night.

      Delete

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