Ann Wason Moore: 'I am seriously sick of being angry over Covid'

Rather than being cross, let’s be compassionate instead, writes Ann Wason Moore.

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FORGET the vaccine, maybe what we really need is a chill pill.

And, just like with my double-dose of Pfizer, I’ll happily wait in line for a taste of that medicine … because I am seriously sick of being angry.

Unfortunately, it seems this emotion is more contagious than Covid itself.

Look, I get it. This bloody pandemic is exhausting and exasperating … every time it feels like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, it turns out it’s just an emergency beacon warning of more distress.

Our buffer for bad news and capacity for patience is as wasted as a crate-full of Pfizer in Nimbin. 

And now here we are, our border with NSW is closed, more than half the country is locked down and we have to wear masks for another week.

But that’s not what’s making me angry.

Indeed, while anger is the symptom, idiocy is the disease.

Flare-ups can be activated by stupid posts on social media, but also conversations IRL (FYI that’s “in real life”); by stupid politicians, but also good friends.

I’m no fan of masks, but what truly infuriates me are comments such as this: “I’m getting anxiety from walking amongst muzzled mask wearers knowing full well the reason for mandatory masks has nothing to do with Covid. They de-humanise, degrade, instil fear and limit oxygen.”

Dude, maybe we both need to take a deep breath (of limited oxygen). 

Ann Wason Moore. Picture Glenn Hampson

Meanwhile, I’ve had to sign in friends on my own Check-In Qld app because they don’t want the government tracking them.

I mean, whatever,  it doesn’t physically hurt me to tap my thumb a few more times … but boy does it get my blood boiling.

I understand those who complain that the government, whether state or federal, has some fine form in terms of double-standards (sports crowds vs arts audiences and hospitality patrons springs to mind) … but anyone who thinks this is all a conspiracy by those in power needs to get their head read.

Why would any government choose to restrict the movement of its people, enforce masks and disrupt the economy? That’s sure to win a lot of votes!

Why encourage everyone to get a vaccine … and then not provide the vaccine? If these are the moves of the new world order … I think we’re going to be all right.

And if that doesn’t make you feel better, maybe you do have something to worry about.

Research has long showed that conspiracy theories are associated with anxiety, social isolation and negative emotions.

Now a study in Ecuador joins growing research indicating that believing in Covid-19 conspiracy theories is an important predictor of distress, anxiety, and depression.

Yet instead of feeling sympathy, I just feel frustrated and angry.

Especially when I hear reports such as this from CBS News in America between a reporter and small business owner and father Scott Roe, who was in hospital recovering from Covid-induced pneumonia:

“If you would have had a chance to get the vaccine and prevent this, would you have taken the vaccine?” asks the reporter.

“No,” says Mr Roe. “I would have gone through this, yes sir… Don’t shove it down my throat. That’s what local, state, federal administration is trying to do - shove it down your throat."

"What are they shoving," asks the reporter, “the science?"

“No, they’re shoving the fact that that’s their agenda … their agenda is to get you vaccinated,” answers Mr Roe.

To which I respond: arrrgghhhhh! 

And yet, even from our own leaders, who don’t have conspiracy-induced anxiety as a defence, I struggle to find the sanity … let alone the serenity.

Look no further than Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who has done anything but lead. But you might have to look long and hard, because he’s been all but absent until the last few days.

When it comes to our bungled vaccine rollout, he’s blamed premiers, he’s blamed advisers, he’s blamed ATAGI. He says it’s not a race, but actually it is a race and, anyway, he says he didn’t mean it like that.

And finally, after scathing criticism over his inability to apologise for leaving us unprotected in the midst of a pandemic, he said sorry … kind of.

"No country gets everything right, no prime minister gets everything right as well," he said.

Arrrrrggghhh. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a press conference at The Lodge in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

No one expects perfection, but we do expect competence. Without even that, we have every right to feel angry.

And that goes to the heart of this frustration - the fear that everything is not just out of our control, but out of control.

But if we feel helpless, the best we can do is to help ourselves … and each other. Rather than being cross, let’s be compassionate instead.

That’s a (chill) pill we should all swallow. 

JULY 13 - Gold Coast's pride is on the line for State of Origin III 

Sure the State of Origin series has already been decided in favour of the NSW Blues, but pride is on the line when it comes to the third and final match, to be hosted on the Gold Coast tomorrow night.

And it’s not just the sporting pride of the Queensland Maroons, but of our city itself.

We have to prove that even in a dead rubber, we’re a real live wire in terms of stadium spectators.

Spectators at the Gold Coast Titans v Newcastle Knights match at CBus Super Stadium, Robina. Picture: JERAD WILLIAMS

Because when it comes to our sporting history, this city has been viewed as something of a joke.

That’s absolutely no offence to our teams – especially our Gold Coast Suns in the AFL and Titans in the NRL. They may not have brought home the silverware (yet), but the standard set in terms of management and organisation is an assurance to diehard fans that the day will come.

The problem, of course, is with the term “diehard fans”. The sad truth is that these are few and far between.

The interstate heritage of many, if not most, Gold Coasters means that our home teams are often the second choice, with first allegiance to their city of birth. It will take at least another generation – a generation who are actually born and bred on the GC – to deliver the level of passion required to support a team through thick and thin.

For now, our teams have to hope and pray they can keep the fans on-side.

QLD'•s Xavier Coates tackles NSWÃ's Tom Trbojevic. Queensland vs New South Wales for game 2 of the State of Origin Series at Suncorp Stadium. Pic Peter Wallis

But this Origin opportunity is something else, it’s a chance to show that we have the capacity to demonstrate true dedication.

We need to be out in force tomorrow night. Blue or Maroon (and in this city, there is plenty of each), get that gear on, get out there and raise your voice. Not just for your team, not just for your state, but for your city. Let’s show the country how passionate the Gold Coast can be.

While we turned up in force for the events of the Commonwealth Games, the fact is that too many residents fled the city in fear of competition chaos. Rather than a festival atmosphere in our streets, it was more like apprehension of the zombie apocalypse.

The result being that we once again reinforced the reputation of our residents as nothing but fair-weather fans.

And that is the ultimate loss. Because there is a true hunger on the Gold Coast to support sport. No, it’s not always for the home teams (yet), but the fact is that you can take the fan from their home city of Melbourne (for example), but you can’t take the Melbourne fanaticism out of them.

And Mayor Tom Tate is the perfect example.

“Bring a Blues supporter, I’ll be only too happy to sit back and enjoy a 3-nil whitewash,” says the leader of our own Queensland town.

But, hey, full credit to Cr Tate … aka the Dirty Cockroach.

After all, it was his idea three weeks ago to pitch the idea of hosting the game on the Gold Coast, back when NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian was first forced to plunge Sydney into lockdown.

Few at the time took Cr Tate seriously, but the idea of hosting the game at Cbus Super Stadium was planted.

And now here we are.

It echoes the sentiments of the other incredible win of the weekend – that of Queenslander Ash Barty as she became the Wimbledon women’s singles champion.

(And I just have to celebrate the fact that Ash, an indigenous Australian, achieved this victory not just on the 50th anniversary of “big sister” and fellow indigenous athlete Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s first Wimbledon win, but during NAIDOC Week. It gives me chills.)

“It took me a long time to verbalise the fact that I wanted to dare to dream and say I wanted to win this incredible tournament,” said Ash, as she held that treasured trophy on England’s hallowed turf.

Because, in a way, that’s what’s happened here.

We verbalised a dream for the city, and now we hold it in our hands.

So let’s get out there and make a game of it.

Home run for for the Gold coast

July 11, 2021

IT was 30 years ago today.

On July 10, 1991, at the tender age of 15, I stepped off the Ansett flight from Sydney and on to the tarmac at Coolangatta Airport.

I’d traveled more than 24 hours and half a world to relocate from Dallas, Texas to the Gold Coast, Australia.

And I could not have been angrier. I’d refused to sit next to my parents on that long, long flight, so furious was I to be dragged away from all that I knew and loved.

This was the dark ages of the very early 90s, there was no internet, no social media, no email, and International calls cost almost as much as a flight back to the States.

I was alone in a new country. And this new town seemed very strange indeed for a girl who grew up in a landlocked city, where the only landmarks were the unnatural assets of strip malls and giant shopping centres.

The Gold Coast of Ann Wason Moore’s arrival.

While I soon settled into my new school (shout-out to Aquinas College), I was anything but adjusted.

Because despite the beauty of the Pacific Ocean and the lush backdrop of the Hinterland rainforest, I was completely, totally and utterly bored.

Maybe that was because I was living in Robina? After all, 30 years ago, that suburb was all but a glorified dirt lot. Sure, we had a nice, new house … but we were literally the only ones on the street. But my, how things have changed. Not just for Robina, but the Gold Coast itself. Which makes me wonder, how would my 15-year-old self feel if we were to arrive here now? (Disregarding the fact that we never could arrive now. What bitter irony there was no Covid-91.)

Looking at my own children, who are edging ever closer to that 15-year mark, I think my teen self would have been too busy to mope.

While the theme parks existed back in ’91 (Movie World and I even share a 30-year anniversary), they weren’t part of regular local life like they are now.

Thanks to annual passes, those parks are like my teens’ playground these days. They are good, safe fun that provide just the right amount of thrills - for kids and parents.

As the best mall in the southern hemisphere, Pacific Fair has always been there for me (Myer unveiled its major makeover in 1991 too. Sadly - for both of us - I’ve had more work done than it since then.)

Ann Wason Moore. Picture Glenn Hampson

But it was the one and only shopping oasis … now we have Robina Town Centre, Harbour Town and half a dozen local boutique hubs and markets.

Then there’s the restaurants.

Back in the early 90s, if you wanted to really impress the peer group you booked a dinner date at Choices - the upmarket big brother buffet of Sizzler (RIP).

Now, there’s actual choices. From gourmet pizza to burgers to fish’n’chips, it’s the same meal - but certainly in better taste.

The next aspect is a little sad, and certainly not a part of every teen’s life, but I spent a lot of my first few years on the GC at the Gold Coast Hospital due to my father’s battle with cancer.

Even in 1991, the old facility on Nerang Street was past its use-by date. Despite the fabulous staff (some things don’t change), it was depressing, it was uncomfortable, it was scary.

How I wish I could have spent those many months in our Gold Coast University Hospital. Visiting the palliative care ward last year, I nearly cried seeing what an amazing atmosphere has been created for terminally ill patients.

And then there’s the light rail. That would have been the ultimate game-changer for my sad teen self.

GCB columnist Ann Wason Moore with her mother Susan Wason.

My mother, daughter and I.

Being too young to drive and with a mother too worried to leave my sick father’s side, the ability to catch a tram from the hospital to Pacific Fair or to a friend’s would have kept me not just entertained but connected. Death, even when it’s not your own, is a lonely journey.

The Gold Coast has changed significantly since 1991, and me along with it. And, in my opinion, we have both changed for the better.

Both of us have welcomed new generations and delighted in seeing them settle in this city. In calling the Coast home.

I wonder whether those first years of Gold Coast life are what fuels my interest in seeing this city continue to evolve and change.

It’s not just that I fear stagnation and boredom, but I learned at an early age that nothing lasts forever. I learned that you can lose your home … but find a new one.

I learned that while change is never easy, if you keep an open mind, the new can be even better than what you knew and loved.