I found a couple of advantages in the increased State security measures. The two female Gardai patrolling the streets today looked really cute trying to contain the grins that betrayed their first day on the job.
Prince Charles has the virus now. Apparently he’s self-isolating in Scotland; does he mean the whole country? “This wasn’t the corona-nation one was expecting,” he posted on twitter, which made me laugh. One rather gets the feeling it’s not meant to be, old bean.
Last night’s entry, fueled by heightened emotions is in stark contrast to the way I feel now – serene, chilled and overfed. I’m actually quite happy to descend into madness for a while and see what new dreams begin to sprout.
Fire calls have fallen off the cliff so I, like most other people, have plenty of time for reflection. It’s clear what changes have to be made and what has to be reluctantly let go. I hope this will be a universal COVID phenomenon. When the virus allows us to resume old lives, will we want them anymore?
In truth, mine hasn’t really changed much at all and I realised today that wasn’t a coincidence. I gave up my last job because interviews with environmental scientists convinced me we should all pack up driving.
I thought the likely response to climate breakdown would be fascism, so signing up with the brigade seemed the best way to avoid conscription to the Gestapo. I had expected to wait a few more years for ‘the event’, though. Still not sure if it was madness or foresight but I’ve struggled to tell the difference between the truth and full-blown psychosis all my adult life.
Mercifully, predictions of the Fourth Reich seem overstated, but the path from here to there is clearly mapped. I hope this virus isn’t giving leaders ideas. Expect to see stories on different potential plagues every week when COVID is no longer newsworthy.
In the aftermath, laws will be enacted that play on our fears and we have proven our willingness to comply, while smartphones have perfected the ingredients for surveillance . I’m not willing to go down the conspiracy path right now but I’m not naive either.
Anyway I found a couple of advantages in the increased State security measures. The two female Gardai patrolling the streets today looked really cute trying to contain the grins that betrayed their first day on the job. I remember that feeling from my first calls. I can’t wait for them to see me in my sexy firekit. It’s a bizarre feeling to count Gardai as peers. I still can’t get used to them knowing my name for reasons other than a pesky warrant from 2015.
Leo Varadkar could be the luckiest Taoiseach ever, scraping through on the fifth count to a caretaker position and now on the verge of his finest hour. A lot of panicked people are relieved. The consensus I got, whilst keeping my two metre distance, was “how can you even spend €350 in social isolation!?!”
Really though, do Fine Gael have a choice? It was either to give people money or let looting begin. Pretty hard to have a personal rainy day fund with rents the way they are.
I’m cynical about the temporary equal healthcare provision. Covid has exposed the fatal flaw in two tier systems which will never be able to deal with epidemics.
It’s unfortunate for Mary Lou, who is beginning to sound like a naysayer. Unless this virus spirals out of control she can kiss goodbye to her left alliance. At least she has Jurgen Klopp as a shoulder to cry on.
I could be wrong though. I have been before. Maybe we will get comfortable with this temporary taste of socialism? When the virus allows us to resume our old system, will we want it anymore?
