Welcome to my regular Friday song/tune day, ladies and gentlemen, where I pick a piece of music that reflects my mood or the times, to share with you.

There are no winners in this pandemic. Today I would like all of us to spare a thought for our friends with loved ones who are currently undergoing medical treatment for life-threatening illnesses. Now just imagine that you couldn’t be with your loved one in hospital due to Covid visitor restrictions. Next, imagine that hospitals and emergency services are so overwhelmed with Covid patients that medical treatment cannot be provided in a timely fashion for all those in need. That would be unbelievably traumatic. It’s happening. My heart goes out to anyone in that situation.

The pandemic has also divided us in other ways. I’m a little hurt that neither my brother or sister have seen fit to contact me in the two months since Canberra went into lockdown. I’ve texted them but so far, no response. It seems no-one can be bothered maintaining the pretence of family connectedness anymore. Or maybe they are just busy. I’m a big fan of pretence. It is a good coping strategy. Fortunately, I still have the opportunity to ring my brother and sister. When we finally talk, we will say something like “Oh, I have been meaning to phone you”, and we will pretend that we mean it. Love hurts.

Time for a song now that I’ve got all maudlin. Here’s Jimmy Cliff performing Many Rivers To Cross.

Love is complicated, especially when it is out of our control.

Be kind to yourself, ladies and gentlemen. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

Love to you all.
Tracy.

29 thoughts on “I Guess We Have To Try”

  2. Good song for now. I have backed away from several of my former contacts. I just don’t want to deal with it/them even though I liked them very much. Stuff keeps happening and as it does, I just get less and less interested in this stupid fucked up reality. My town had a “Freedom Rally” last weekend to protest the vaccine mandate recently handed down by the Colorado Department of Health saying that certain groups of health care workers had to be vaccinated or they would lose their jobs. Of course the rally-goers blamed it on the Governor who is both a democrat and gay (gasp!) When I was a kid growing up I wanted to live in the future and I spent my productive years working toward that, but we don’t live in the future. We live in a reactionary hell. I keep reciting my plumber’s mantra to myself and trying to live by it. “If we can’t be nice to each other, what’s the point of living?” He’s right.

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    1. It is so hard, Martha. Yeah, best to mostly hang around with people you don’t have to argue with.
      Health care workers first priority should be a duty of care to the patient. Surely hospital admins would be held liable if they failed to do everything possible to prevent transmission, so this issue is not going away no matter who is imposing the mandate. You need your standard response for those times when you sense people might be ready to listen. I’ll have to take my own advice. Ha ha. 🤣

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      1. I’m spending more and more time alone since my standard response might land me in jail. Seriously, I keep thinking (???) things will get normal again and I’ll like everyone again. That’s presuming that I’ll forget all this, which, of course, I won’t. I’m just grateful I lived 68 years without knowing this about people.

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  6. I am grieving for a friend who died last week. Couldn’t get to see him when I found he was terminally ill. Covid is a bugger. He was in country Victoria, I am in WA. His funeral was livestreamed, I was at work, it was awful. No opportunity to give condolences or catch up with friends afterwards. I am surprised at how devastated I feel about it all.

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  8. Awwww, I’m sorry Tracy. I just read this when I signed on to my computer: A survey of 1,000 Americans conducted in September found that 1 out of 7 respondents had ended a friendship over COVID-19 vaccination status. Sad 😢😢💔

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    1. Thanks, Lisa, but no need to worry. My siblings are probably oblivious to my angst. I’ll probably get a text next year on my birthday, ha ha.
      It is sad that friendships have ended. Kind of inevitable though where there is not broad community consensus on containment measures. I was reading that Denmark which has a lot of programs and policies aimed at tackling economic inequality, has had a lot of community support for its very successful approach.

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      1. Although I have not seen it in my family or circle of friends, I hear some news casters actually being quite spiteful. If the media is not communicating understanding and unity, then society is going to be divided. I was surprised to hear that friendships are ending because of it. Sad times 😢

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  10. This pandemic has caused so much damage! Not only in lives lost, but in lives impacted from the lockdowns. In my darker moments, I’m not sure we’ll ever manage to come back together as society again. And I really think the pandemic should be an impetuous to improve our health care systems, so they aren’t crippled in emergencies like this one. I know I”m lucky because where I live the hospitals are busy but not overwhelmed, but that is not the case in many places around the world. Take care, Tracy…..and hang in there!

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    1. Thanks, Ann. I agree. I hope for more investment in our hospitals, the health workforce and in public health too. It may take a generation to get over this. The next generation will have its own problems, many of which are of our making. Sorry, Ann. I’m feeling a little down today. Take care.

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    1. I wouldn’t have them any other way, Punam, despite our differences of opinion. Still, every now and again I like to stamp my foot in exasperation. I hope our lives will never be the same otherwise we won’t have learnt anything.
      My Friday song is keeping me going. I’m glad you are enjoying it too.

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      1. I know what you mean, Tracy. Exasperation is exactly the word I would use to define what I feel at times with them. 🙂
        Sadly, here I see people going on with life as if nothing has changed.
        But then, we are the smartest species, we don’t need to learn anything seems to be their motto. 😏

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