Do I really want to write? It all takes such an effort. The lockdowns haven't gone on for very long, my life really has not changed...much...hardly at all really, but whereas I used to be self-motivate and interested in everything now I am not interested

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Name
Karen Carkner
Age
73
Location

McMahons Point 2060
Australia

Do I really want to write? It all takes such an effort. The lockdowns haven't gone on for very long, my life really has not changed...much...hardly at all really, but whereas I used to be self-motivate and interested in everything now I am not interested in anything. Snippets of information filter through when I bother to turn on the radio - apparently mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are on the rise due to being apart from family and friends and away from work, school or other stimulating environments and especially the freedom to do what we want when we want to. Is it different for aboriginal people in custody and juvenile detention? Surely not, or we wouldn't do that to them, would we? Our hospitals are said to be 'stretched to the limit' but I think they mean the city ones because they also say that we don't have enough/any doctors and nurses in the rural hospitals. How good are we!! Well, not very good at all if we are judged on the state of our rural and remote communities. We have taken many of our historical cultural references from the bush; The Man From Snowy River, The Shearing of the Rams and I Love a Sunburnt Country and that - well we have Buckley's if we haven't learnt from this pandemic that we are only as good as how we treat and care for the people in our rural and remote areas of Australia. Oh, and nature has been so important to us in both our mental and physical health that we must remember to take care of our fauna and flora.
Last time I went outside the metropolitan area the country towns were dying, the landscape looked a bit miserable and I didn't see any animals. I hope the next time I can go things will be different but I doubt it. Do you know that the Botanic Gardens in Sydney don't have a Waratah bush, so much for pride/interest in our state.
I share your pessimism for our future, for all of us just trying to get on with life with family, friends and a beautiful, healthy environment.