Sometimes rules have to be broken for survival
‘Hi Mum and Dad. We’re on the road. Our Covid19 symptoms don’t seem to be improving. See you in a few hours.’ Can you imagine how Dominic Cummings’ parents felt knowing their son was en route from London to Durham on March 27 with his wife, their four year old grandson and The Plague. Not the kind of visitors anyone would wish to welcome at midnight, even if their cottage was 50 metres from the family stead. It’s still uncomfortably close.
Cummings’ parents, sister and nieces must have had the hazmat suits at the ready knowing British prime minister Boris Johnson had been officially diagnosed with coronavirus, Cummings being his chief advisor and sharer of droplet space. You can imagine their horror when an ambulance pulled up on April 2 for the little boy who had a bad fever and had vomited.
Scary times. Strangely enough, the child tested negative for the virus. I can’t help but feel sorry for Mr Cummings, even if he did break lockdown rules, or didn’t, depending on what way you’re looking at things. That is a rotten amount of trauma and stress, no matter your political inclinations.
Should he resign? Has he not suffered enough? The man panicked. I think most of us were in deep paranoia mode around that time, stocking up on bog roll and tinned foods and filling the tank of the car just in case. The lucky ones (and who could blame them?) were retreating to their holiday homes for space and comfort.
Sometimes ya gotta break the rules when it comes to survival or ‘complex, tricky’ situations. Even our Taoiseach Leo Varadkar
gets it — top off in the Phoenix Park with boyfriend Matthew Barrett and two friends, getting some Vitamin D into his bones last weekend to boost his immune system.
OK it wasn’t great that assistant secretary to the Department of Taoiseach Liz Canavan had just told the public not to be lingering in parks, but the sun was out. The sun! Get it while you can. It’s better than sitting cooped up indoors. I don’t blame anyone for breaking loose to spend some time in nature, observing the rules of course, as best they can, within reason.
Ca n we make a deal? Let’s not spy on each other. It’s creepy. We’re all processing this pandemic differently and not everyone is petrified, which is a good thing. Fear is another type of virus, one we would do best to avoid where possible. Good luck to you if you want to wear a mask on your own while driving or walking in the countryside. Just don’t expect me to do the same. I prefer fresh air. We need to go easier on each other’s choices and quit using ‘frontline workers’ as an excuse to spread fear. There’s so much we’ve yet to figure out. Here in France, all going well, restaurants could open in early June in green zones. Never has the prospect of a glass of rosé (my one a week, wink wink) and a plate of salade on the terrasse been so thrilling. I’ve missed people watching (not spying, don’t spy, it’s not nice). Here’s to warm, free, summer days ahead.
I don’t blame anyone for breaking loose to get outside