Last weekend, I escaped (legally) to a friend’s beachside pad near Batemans Bay. Taking physical distancing into account, we ate al fresco at a bayside café, swam in the ocean and bushwalked along the coast. It was redolent of halcyon beach breaks of summers past – and, as it turns out, the last treasured getaway for who knows how long.
Our way of life has transmogrified into something almost unrecognisable: non-essential services closed, supermarket shelves often bare, Centrelink queues around the block, parents/carers home schooling their kids, uni courses online only, employees working remotely or suddenly stood down … To paraphrase Star Trek: “It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it.”
While we’re socially distancing, quarantining and self-isolating during these uncertain times, it’s important to remain connected and be kind. Check in on relatives, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, neighbours – even the shop assistants, health workers and all those still working to keep us safe and well. Be kind on yourself, too.
Here at Canberra Daily, although many of our advertisers have had to cancel their ads, we’re continuing to publish, albeit with a few changes: no TV guide, no social scene and no My Favourite Things. Please bear with us. Meanwhile, we’ve fast-tracked our upgraded website so we can bring you more news, more often. So, if you read Canberra Daily magazine (as you’re doing right now), please visit us online at canberradaily.com.au, follow us on Facebook and support our local advertisers, where possible. Take care.