it's in the memes

As per usual I've delayed posting here so long that the mood has changed, the moment past, and now the content no longer seems as relevant.
BUT, having collected and archived and uploaded the very best of Covid memes weeks ago I'm determined to slip this post in.

Covid-19 has not gone away, especially not in this country or indeed this city. Our province of the Western Cape is currently the epicentre of the pandemic in South Africa, and has been for a while.

As with many of my plans for 2020, my intention to wean off memes this year was chucked out the window with the arrival of the Corona virus. In fact it feels like memes have really come into their own.
My criticism of the meme-life (that they are a lazy way of expressing emotions/thoughts/opinions - circulating others thoughts rather than examining and developing your own) are the exact reason they've been so valuable these last few months. So many of our emotions and thoughts have felt too complex to really articulate, too overwhelming or confusing - so when presented with a few words or an image which succinctly jumps straight to the heart of how we're feeling, often making us laugh at the same time - it's been hugely satisfying.

Here are a selection of my BEST - funny, thoughtful, heart-breaking, I need to record this for perpetuity. I wish I had the appropriate credits for each, but I don't.

File Name: General Funny

This one though - kinda more terrifying than funny.

File Name: Children & Homeschooling

I loved this one above though - I do think (hope!) our kids will remember this as a time of great togetherness.

File Name: The Mentals

Shew, the emotional rollercoaster was rough. I say was as I feel way more stable these days - is it acceptance? If nothing else we've learnt how adaptive we can be (kind of good to know we can still do this), but how much of the emotional stability is a return to some sort of 'normality' (because let's face it, nothing is normal) or general acceptance of the 'new' normal? Sometimes I also wonder if I'm not just more numbed these days - a kind of shutdown? Who knows...

File Name: Pets AKA the Great Salvation AKA thank goodness for these guys

File Name: Conspiracy Theories

(could also be filed under General Funny because WTF with these idiots)

File Name: Learnings

This is beautiful

File Name: Relationships

Their joke every time I came back from the grocery store.

Low key for real, as the kids would say.

File Name: South Africa specific

Morning rush hour traffic the first day of lock down: there was none.

Lock down extension.

Even the Sign Language Interpreter horrified.

When we finally got an exercise slot: 6-9am.

All the bitching about not being able to surf or drink when thousands were starving.

File name: For Serious

My god it's been the weirdest, weirdest time.