August 8th, 2020Just sayin’…

It’s so easy for things to go viral, as we have noticed quite literally, but you need to keep a sense of humour and proportion.
By the time you read this in print (I only say that because we are online on Sunday) we will all be wearing masks. Whether you are in Brighton or Bunnings or even wandering around Blampied. Don’t you love alliteration?
And why would anyone put up such a song and dance about wearing a simple mask and then film themselves doing that and post it online – for all the world to see what a covidiot you are.
But there they are, quoting scripture and verse and women’s rights – that was a strange one – and then burning masks in an outdoor fire pit. I watched that happening and apart from thinking “what a dick” thought “hmmm, a fire pit would be nice, I wonder if they sell them at Bunnings?” My attention span is not what it used to be.
Now I am not advocating masks for pets, but we did receive a media release from the RSPCA about it. It is great advice but I felt reading it, that it could prove a tad difficult. You see, pets take their cues from their owner’s facial expressions and if more than half your face is covered, it becomes hard work. So the release said it was important to take it slowly, keep smiling because your eyes can show that, but not to keep up too much eye contact, which can be confronting.
If the pet is stressing and if it is safe to do so, take the mask off and show your pet your face briefly. Oh, and never wear a mask which has a face or eyes – that is really going to freak out Fido or Fluffy. So much for the “Love your cat? Buy a cat face printed mask today” websites.
It’s all probably good advice. Better than the one the RSPCA put out when we lived in the Pilbara. Up there they have cyclone season and at the time, 2010, no pets were allowed in the evacuation shelters. So if worse came to worst, the advice was to either build up a stack of furniture so Fido and Fluffy could climb to the ceiling if needed, or just drown them in the bath on the way out. Your choice.
The only thing was that cyclones have a sneaky way of coming in fast and then either doing a U-turn or being downgraded. Would be a sad homecoming…
But back to masks, just wear them. Wash or sanitise your hands. Get tested and stay home if you are sick. And please, don’t be a Karen. Well, not a Karen of Brighton anyway. Just sayin’…