Let’s think about “freedom” again

As restrictions finally ease around Melbourne, and indeed around Australia, the hint of freedom is tantalising.

And yet, as we move towards the freedom we have always wanted, cherished and deserved – to walk the streets safely, to travel, to make plans for holidays – there is a veil of nervousness as to how long this will last.

And who can blame us? 2020 has been one incredibly wild, unpredictable and tumultuous time. The catch cry of “these unprecedented times” is overused, yet incredibly accurate. It has simply never been known before.

And so, the path through this year has not been guaranteed but rather constantly changing. Oh, how I laugh (satirically), that in December of 2019 my heart raced, and I felt I could taste the fear in my mouth as we watched the first black plumes of the bushfires just kilometres away. If someone had told me then what actually lay ahead, it would have been beyond comprehension.

So here we are in November, having lived with increasing restrictions since March, and we are finally approaching freedom. We can see on the horizon, the possible return of “pre- 2020” life when borders were open and the only barrier to visiting family and friends was our own ability to find time in our busy schedules. We ache for the return to our old ways, in a way that we can only truly appreciate now it’s been taken from us. We ache for connection, we ache for safety, we ache for freedom. Yet, Australia has done incredibly well. We are able to be an- gry at the loss of freedom, rather than the loss of life that many countries weep for.

So, let’s think about “freedom” again. “May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right” – Peter Marshall.

We need to protect ourselves by doing what is right. Sometimes that means we can’t do everything we please, until we know it’s safe to do so. Yet we must confidently walk into the future carrying our learnings of this damn virus. We must trust that knowledge is power. So, our freedom is given to us to do the right thing, to do what we can to stop the spread, so that we can truly live without fear of lockdowns.

“The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear” – Aung San Suu Kyi.

We are incredibly lucky. We have been saved from the devastations that other countries are still experiencing. It has come with huge costs and huge sacrifices – stay kind to each other, continue to protect each other, we have all been through a lot. Be proud of yourself Melbourne, for getting us out of this one as well as you have. It’s time to build for the future again. Let’s be free from fear, and know we have what it takes to fight the threats that will no doubt return. This bastard of a year’s not over yet.

Stay strong. With love, Abby.