From sublime to ridiculous
LET’S start with the sublime.
I am privileged to work in a hospital surrounded by inspiring, caring and courageous people right now.
Across our region we are blessed to have so many good people on the front line in healthcare in the days, weeks and maybe months ahead.
They’re preparing for a kind of pandemic which none of us can accurately predict in terms of an outcome.
At the very same time a new type of pandemic has broken out. It is sweeping through our neighbourhoods and streets. You might even witness it in the supermarket aisles as people try to find regular items on shelves that are bare.
It’s the kindness pandemic. On Friday a cafe across the road from my workplace reached out wanting to supply cooked meals for those who are really struggling in our community at the moment.
This is all the more powerful considering the challenges facing all of our hospitality industry right now.
If you have the money to spare – pick up a takeaway coffee or a meal.
In supermarket aisles there are people looking out for each other, sharing items with those who have none.
It’s a Friday and I return to my abode to discover the kindness pandemic has followed me home.
My letterbox has a very simple and beautiful letter hand delivered.
A local family is offering to help out. “If you and your family are needing to self-isolate and don’t have friends or family that can help, we would love to. We are happy to drop around any basic necessities (bread, milk, toilet paper, counter medication, basic food supplies) that you need.”
A beautiful message for our time. I walk in the front door and discover that my nearest and dearest has caught the thing. I suspect it’s contagious.
She has committed to continue paying for services (eg the gym or yoga classes), even if she can’t attend in person.
I move to social media and the kindness pandemic has reached there too. There is a local facebook page looking to support people affected in any way by COVID-19 as well as getting behind our health workers.
I hope this kindness pandemic spreads like wildfire. And now the ridiculous.
Hopefully by the time you read this is, it is history. But we need to talk about the National Rugby League.
I can’t tell you how many ways I love the NRL. I don’t know why, I just do. Despite the off-field antics every year, despite the gambling and the blatant product placement I love it.
But right now it has taken stupid to a level I didn’t even know existed.
We’ve got a little global crisis happening. Every major sport on the planet, well, almost has decided to postpone the games until we resume normal transmission. But not rugby league. It was breathtaking to watch the administrators ask for government money to get them through this tough time.
It was mind-blowing to see league commentators describe rugby league as an “essential service”, with a straight face!
At the time of submitting this column, Qld has closed its borders and there are stories circulating that the NRL wants an exemption with the farcical plan of moving the whole competition to a single location in Central Qld.
The Auckland Warriors players haven’t seen their loved ones for weeks and one presumes young fathers would be cut off from their families for months in this reality TV scenario.
The COVID-19 pandemic has rightly been described as something demanding a war like response. In days gone by sports like cricket and league and Aussie rules took a break when war was called, with all energy and attention being given to what was deemed to be the common good.
The NRL has already proven it is one of the toughest codes going around. It will bounce back. This current madness is not about the fans. It should have been called off weeks ago.