December 5th, 2021Just sayin’…

SO, WE are out the other side. Sort of. As in a massive lifting of restrictions. No more masks for most people unless you are working in hospitality or medicine. It’s great news. For the vaccinated. Not so much if you have decided not to get the jab. Small life and all that.
I must admit I was hesitant. Not about being vaccinated but I did worry about AstraZeneca and the blood clotting. I even pleaded my case with a doctor but was told in no uncertain terms there were no exceptions and he was adamant the government was doing the right thing.
I was pretty happy about a week later to hear Pfizer had been approved for the under 60s, even a bit vindicated, and booked that day for my first jab. With just the three-week wait I got my second shot in July, the same time Kyle had his second AZ. He had no hesitation, just got in there and rolled up his sleeve way back in April.
Anyway, we have both now booked in for our booster shot in January. The local doctors’ is only offering Pfizer so I might shop around and see if anyone has Moderna on hand. I keep reading that mixing and matching is the way to go. I know, I should check with a doctor, but that didn’t really work out last time.
I will still keep a variety of masks in the car. Some look better than others, we have black with a TL logo on some, and flowers on another, but then the ‘blueys’ are easier to talk with and breathe through.
I remember when we first started wearing masks last March, as in 2020, and everyone thought we were quite mad. Walking around Coles at Woodend we got a lot of stares but also quiet nods from the other two or three people also masked up. I remember wearing one for a mammogram at St John of God Hospital in Ballarat and asking the clinician why they were not wearing one. Not allowed, they said. Don’t want to panic anyone, they said.
I also remember calling a chemist in Frankston asking if they stocked any. No need, they said. Masks will not stop the spread, they said. Now you can’t get a medical procedure done without a mask on – and chemists have done a roaring trade in them.
We have come a long way, through fear and loathing, and misunderstanding, to a point where most sane people are vaccinated and we can unmask for most of the time. Is unmask even a word? I know so many more words I wish I didn’t. Self-isolation, double-jabbed, Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca…
I talked to a psychologist the other day and said I would very much like to turn back the clock to a time where Covid never existed. But, I said, so many people reckon humankind would learn from this. Be better people. Make better choices.
She looked at me, a little askance. “All we will gain from this is about a decade of mental health issues. Especially for children.” So good news on the mask front. As for learning lessons, maybe not so great. Just sayin’…