FOOD FOR THOUGHT: BY Joe Van Langenberg

Given that COVID-19 has snuffed out thousands of lives in many countries, while continuing to exert its lethal toll on many more; we need to turn the searchlight inwards in a bid to reconcile differences with others; from whom we have been estranged. It matters not, with whom the buck stops.

And it serves no useful purpose, by engaging in acrimonious recriminations, or provocative, condescending verbal mud-slinging, for cheap, sadistic point-scoring, aimed at delivering the sucker punch, or in some instances the king-hit. In the immortal words of the philosophical Cat Stevens (a.k.a. Yusuf Islam) “we are living on this planet for just awhile, so let’s stop fighting, frothing, cussing & be good to one another, before the oxygen runs out”.

A thought-provoking & inspirational observation in its true essence. Moving on to a topic of greater importance; at this most critical juncture, the insidious Corona Virus which has spread it’s powerful tentacles worldwide; leaving a trail of death, mayhem, paranoia & fear in their wake, has reduced humanity to a shell of its former glory, while simultaneously destabilising almost everything, which had till quite recently been in a relative state of normality.

The word paranoia has now taken on a vastly different meaning, with connotations of suspicion & deep mistrust, even hatred for one another; with most becoming fearful even of their own shadows, if you like. Political decision-makers of mostly all countries (including Australia), whose people have been & continue being on the receiving end of this plague-like catastrophy, have put in safeguards & precautions; which have been deemed essential to stem the spread of the said Virus, which has hitherto shown neither any mercy, nor the slightest intention of ending any time soon.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in conjunction with State Premiers of Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales & Victoria; including Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, in addition to a few others, have gone out on a limb & done the hard yards, thus ensuring that the nation & it’s people will be safe. Mr Morrison has taken unprecedented steps to make doubly sure, that his decisions though hard & fast, will in all probability, have the desired effect; without falling on stony ground.

Tough times never last, but tough people do. During such trying times, hoping for a turning point for the better, for some, can appear to be a distant, elusive dream; or just an illusion which will perhaps fail to become a reality. The political masters are doing all they possibly can, to keep the wolf away from the door. That been said, it must be pointed out, that each & every one of us, need to pull our collective weight, by getting behind the prime minister & his team, in making sure the stipulated guidelines are adhered to, unconditionally & unreservedly; in the interests of our great nation & in the interests of self-preservation. The rules relating to social-distancing, in addition to a few other imperatives that have been laid down, must be complied with, with no questions asked. This is a time when the entire world is spinning around. And this is no time to complain when the chips are down. Such is the harsh reality of life’s unpredictable changes!