"Social" Distancing is out ! "Physical" Distancing is in !
In a politically correct world, with many hypersensitized to language, it's amazing no one around me has picked this up....
In a message from a Victorian Government Department today (24 March), the language changed from "social" to "physical" distancing.
Spot on !
It's critical that we physically distance, but essential that we don't completely *socially* distance and become alienated over the coming month(s).
I'm very socially connected; involved in several businesses and groups, more than the average bloke. One is a group of 45 men (Freemasons). We've never been so socially connected as we are now. The phone is ringing, WhatsApp going crazy, and Zoom and Teams meeting abound. We're a tight group and strongly interconnected, but we consciously decided and agreed to telephone every member of our Lodge in the last few days who was not overseas. Four of us did it in about 72 hours.
We must all embrace Physical Distancing for the collective good, but Social Distancing during hard times is the opposite of what we should be doing as communities. We should be connecting and supporting each other. For some, current times are very very taxing and not conducive to good mental health.
Stay safe and remember were not dealing with The Black Death, but many might be dealing with The Black Dog. The sun will (most likely) rise tomorrow and even if things get *really really* bad, the vast majority of those around us will breath to see it. More will if we physically distance. A few extra will if we *don't* socially distance them.
Perhaps it's time to phone a friend ?
Perhaps it's the time to reach out to others ?
Keep practising physical distancing, but try to make sure you those in your circles don't become socially distant...