Today is Day 5 of Melbourne’s circuit breaker lockdown. Speculations abuzz that it would be extended until God-knows-when. Last time it was 112 days. At first everyone laughed over how everyone else was hoarding toilet papers. Later it became just stupid.

Jokes started amongst co-workers about putting the precious toilet rolls in a safe. My DON started distributing a roll each to those who were running out. Admittedly, I was one of those people because I couldn’t be bothered grocery hopping looking for what became the most important commodity next to flour and yeast. It seemed as if people suddenly became too busy shitting or baking. Anyway, I found the gesture very kind but also very confusing. Had we really come down to it? I mean, this is Australia. It felt unnerving. Just really weird.

But for what it’s worth, the lockdown gave us some downtime as a family. I usually returned home early from work and would be greeted by the sight of Jeff and Raven in the front yard playing hopscotch when she wasn’t half-naked inside a bucket of soapy water.

A lot of times we’d be hanging out at the backyard enjoying the sun, going back to old school fun because there was nowhere to go and nothing much to do.

Once in a while, Jeff and I would talk about being grateful to have internet and Netflix at a time of lockdown. Otherwise, playing Snakes on our Nokia 5110 would’ve been our primary source of entertainment.

As for me, last year’s lock down was the beginning of my journey towards a deeper learning in spirituality. I bought every New Age book that interested me. Stuff that my Roman Catholic upbringing frowns upon. I didn’t care. I was beyond religion. I wanted to tear down the very foundations of my faith in order to surrender my soul to the universe. Understand myself and the world around me, in the process.

I would be lying if I tell you I’ve got it all figured out. Far from it. The more I knew, the more I realized there was a lot more I didn’t know. The truth a universe within a universe within a universe within an infinite universe. A never-ending stack of matryoshka dolls.

I daresay ignorance and enlightenment go hand in hand. But it’s good too, in a sense. Keeps you grounded. Unless they’re into the same shit, people won’t meet you halfway into your crazy anyway.

I can just imagine the torture I put Jeff through at the time. In his defense, he played the part of a listening husband really well. Sound waves floating away into the abyss, holding hands with his own distracted thoughts about solar-powered boomboxes which eventually became his preoccupation for the rest of the year and one I hope would make him a multi-millionaire so I can retire.

Or maybe just work once a week, just for kicks. Because I love my job.

As to what this latest lockdown holds for us, I trust that we’re gonna be just fine. The universe has got our backs. Always.

*Raven at 3 years old