Susie O’Brien: Look hard enough and you’ll find a larf or two
It’s hard to find humour in a time of crisis but humans being what they are, look hard enough and you’re bound to end up laughing at something, writes Susie O’Brien.
Susie O'Brien
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Lots of things make us smile. A baby walking for the first time. Re-runs of The Office. Teenagers working out there’s a difference between your and you’re.
But finding things to give us a lift is getting pretty tough at a time like this. A vaccine would be handy, but in the meantime, we’re consoled by news of strangers leaving meals on doorsteps, pharmacists doing home deliveries and a guy handing out $100 bills to people lining up for Centrelink benefits.
A church choir leader singing Hallelujah to a corona patient from outside on the street.
The kid whose friends did a drive-by past his house when he got home after finishing chemo.
Nurses finding flowers on their car bonnets.
Restaurants and cafes bringing meals into aged care homes or hospitals.
The little girl delivering rainbow loom bands to her friends.
Or the story that everyone loved this week involving the seven-year-old besties who can’t play together. They have been writing notes to each other and posting them in each other’s letterboxes.
Sam writes: “Dear Alfred, you are my best friend. You are fast and you make me larf and larf.”
Alfred writes: “Dear Sam, Nok Nok, whose there? Bum cow. Bum cow who? Bum cow is playing football”.
Cute.
But I’m not that impressed by acts of kindness that involve a paltry 15 per cent off or free delivery on orders over $100. Thanks Witchery, but who’s got $100 to spend on this season’s new knit wear given that no one’s getting out of leggings or leaving the house for the next six months?
How about those lucky enough to still be in business give things away?
There’s a butcher in the UK who will home deliver a two-week food parcel for those who live near his shop who have to self-isolate.
Others who’ve had to close hotels are offering free rooms to those who are sick so they don’t risk infecting family members.
All the businesses still operating, especially those raking in the bucks like bottle shops and supermarkets, should be doing everything they can to help others.
Rather than just an hour dedicated to health workers, why not greet them at the door with $100 vouchers? I’m pretty sure Woolworths could afford that given that they’ve just hired an extra 20,000 people.
Or they could hire staff to roam their car park looking for old people they can shop for so they can stay in their cars. You’re welcome, Coles and Woollies.
Same goes for councils. Rather than sending out new rates notices or issuing more fines, they should be spending their time matching people who need help with locals who can do things.
There’s also the stuff that really matters: a freeze on mortgages and rents.
It was nice to hear about one landlord who texted his tenant: “Whatever happens with your work, I want you to feel secure in the house. We can work something out if your circumstances change and I hope you know we’re approachable.”
Compare that to another landlord who wrote to tenants noting that “times are tough” so they needed to “get your rental payments in”.
Other practical help includes people living near hospitals giving medical staff working around the clock use of their driveways. Or buying vouchers from local businesses to help them stay afloat. Or remembering to support ailing restaurants by buying your favourite meals to takeaway.
Don’t tell people, “let me know if I can help”. Take it upon yourself to do something nice that will make a small difference.
Other kindnesses are a little more superficial, but sometimes just as important. They include sharing YouTube clips that make us laugh. Have you seen the UK lady in the sparkly leotard singing her own version of I Will Survive?
“As long as I’ve got internet/ I know I know I’ll stay alive”.
The clip was filmed in honour of “all the slags in isolation wondering how the f--k you’re going to live through an indefinite number of months stuck indoors”.
I am not immune to a bit of random kindness myself. At the height of loo paper shortages, I was lucky to find a packet of eight-pack three ply which I bought for our 103-year-old neighbour Betty and her carer George, who’s 80. Walking out of Woollies I spied a homeless lady and gave her two of the eight rolls.
She quickly stuffed it into her trolley.
“Course, I’ve got quite a lot, but this will be useful for wiping things down,” she told me.
Oh well, it’s the thought that counts.
Keep larfing, won’t you?
Susie O’Brien is a Herald Sun columnist.