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Easing the frustrations of pandemic times

These are tough times, and they're not over yet.

coffee, takeout
 SHORT-RUN PRINTING | LAMINATING | MAIL-OUT SUPPORT

Friday January 21, 2022 | LANGFORD, BC

Editorial notes by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends


This short piece has rolled off the editor’s pen (keyboard) today after seeing an RCMP report about a coffee-tossing incident at a local fast-rood outlet.

Apparently the customer had been denied service at a previous visit to the Tim Hortons on Goldstream Avenue in Langford, for reportedly refusing to wear a mask and then being belligerent with staff.

All of this does bring to mind the now indelible mantra and wordmark crafted by Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry: “Be kind, be calm, be safe”.

Dr Bonnie Henry, January 21, 2022
“Omicron is not innocuous. It’s still making people feel very unwell, including for a longer period of time…. and causing as much severe illness particularly among people who are unvaccinated. ” ~ Dr Bonnie Henry, January 21, 2022.

These are trying times on many levels. Not just the physical stresses of managing to avoid COVID infection (and dealing with it if it happens), but also the social, financial and lifestyle changes that will have numerous long-term impacts on many people for years if not decades to come. Some will be obvious (like the coffee-tossing) but many could be insidious and only reveal themselves over time and in unexpected ways.

There have been social and family occasions missed, education opportunities curtailed or entirely lost, and businesses challenged or crushed. Various levels of trauma have seeped into our homes, families and communities that could take years to resolve.

These are tough times, and they’re not over yet. The Omicron wave may seem milder, but many more people are falling ill which is impacting the overall flow of workplaces and supply chains.

Weekends and breaks from routine have never seemed more important. Quick phone calls, texts or emails with loved ones and friends have never seemed more welcome. Occasional social interactions — even that trip to the grocery store — become highlighted events. Dabbling in online word games like Wordle have become a craze (even used by the Premier’s office this week to promote vaccination).

get vaccinated, wordle, bc
Premier John Horgan popped this Wordle wordplay onto Twitter (Jan 18, 2022)

The COVID pandemic is not yet endemic (i.e. along the lines of flu and colds), Dr Henry said today during her BC COVID update. But it’s coming. And on top of all this there’s now the urgent requirement for adaptation to the impacts of climate change.

We can all hang in there, yes we can. Higher overall population vaccination levels will help, as will a cup of tea (or stronger!), a bit more time watching movies you had hoped to catch up on, or taking a walk among trees and other natural habitats. Whatever works, that’s the way to do it.

===== ABOUT THE WRITER:

Mary Brooke, editor, West Shore Voice News
Mary P Brooke, Editor and Publisher, Island Social Trends.

Island Social Trends editor Mary P Brooke, B.Sc. has continued running the news service throughout the pandemic, including with a focus on COVID news.

Living in the west shore since 2007 (and in other parts of Greater Victoria since 1985), she continues to be motivated by the unique Vancouver Island lifestyle that is entirely embedded with the natural environment of this beautiful region.

The Island Social Trends online news publication (previously in print/PDF as West Shore Voice News, and before that the weekly print Sooke Voice News and the earlier colour glossy MapleLine Magazine) takes a socioeconomic lens to the news, to explore how we fit as individuals within the larger social ecology.