Marie Sherd, Mullumbimby
I am not a local – I’ve only lived here since 1972. As one of the ‘alternatives’ I know we freaked out the locals when we arrived, but over time but we got along just fine – eventually.
We built our houses and started businesses that helped the ailing economy thrive. We enjoyed our combined community events like the Gymkhanas and Chincogan Fiestas.
For some time now I have thought we are so lucky to be living here while COVID rages worldwide, but now I’m not so sure. This morning I had to go uptown and it was disturbing to see so many unmasked people around. Particularly as the COVID updates on ABC now have representatives from the frontline workers citing their experiences.
The paramedics who have to wear uncomfortable PPE (personal protection equipment) all through their shifts to go into homes where parents are struggling to breathe and their kids may not have anyone to care for them. Ambulances queued up at hospitals because the systems are getting overloaded with COVID patients – so many of them unvaccinated.
The ICU nurses who also have to wear uncomfortable PPE all through their shifts and go one-on-one with patients, and take care of all their bodily needs because there’s nothing they can do for themselves except keep up the struggle to breathe. And ICU nurses hold patients’ hands while they die.
These people risk their lives to care for COVID patients and then they have to go home to their own families and I can’t imagine the lengths they go to to decontaminate themselves. These amazing people are pleading with us to wear masks and get vaccinated. No one is immune from this dreadful disease, and it will continue to mutate and live on.
I know everyone has the right to exercise their free will, but in these extraordinary times one should consider the welfare of everyone and not be so bloody selfish. A disease like this rampages through populations, and the easiest precaution to take is to wear a fucking mask and get vaccinated.
You’d be doing all those frontline paramedics, nurses and doctors a huge favour. They’re the ones who’ll be looking out for you when you might be taking your last breath.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
