Over the weekend, I took part in a get together of other writers, the first time that I had been involved in a group event for what seems like month. It was surreal watching more than a few get together, certificates handed between people, all the things that we would have taken for granted last year.
The only problem was that instead of heading up to Queensland to join in, I was videoed in from Victoria, where such things are still the stuff of fantasy. Right now, we are in an odd position here. While we are still far better off here than in many places, living in Melbourne means that we are under some of the strictest lockdown conditions imaginable, and it feels like there is no real end in sight.
A spectator to our own lives
Talking to family in regional Victoria, or friends in other states, is like peering into another world where people are able to socialise, even in small groups, or go about some of the normal minutia of day to day life. Seeing the social media feeds of some of my overseas friends is even more surreal, you would think that coronavirus has already been beaten, depending on their location.
But, in reality, we are all living in a state of limbo right now. We have no idea whether a fresh spike in cases might see even the limited freedoms we have started to enjoy might be taken away, and just how long it will be before life goes back to normal, or as close to as it ever will, and we can pick up the interrupted plans that we had before this all began. It’s easy to stop being able to see anything beyond the next day or week or month.
Eyes on the Goal
One thing that I have decided to do to stop me treading water and to motivate myself to keep working toward my life goals is to stop putting off making plans until there is any certainty. I’m going to assume that the travel plans I had for next year will be able to go ahead, that by then we won't be locked in the borders of a state or a country. That way I have something to look forward to.
I’d encourage you all to find the things that you can plan towards to get you through our current struggles. It doesn’t mean being silly, like making a massive non-refundable deposit for a world trip in a month’s time. It’s making sure that you keep moving forward towards what you want from the future. Don't let the end of all this doesn’t find you stagnated, paralysed by a feeling of powerlessness, but ready for what’s next. The coronavirus may be able to steal our present, but we can’t let it also rob us of our future.