Last week I had the wonderful opportunity of participating in a Zoom with the Australian psychologist, social scientist, and researcher, Hugh Mackay. Mackay has recently published a book entitled The Kindness Revolution which explores the significant impact crises such as the bushfires and the pandemic have had on individuals and communities. In the discussion that took place last week, Mackay was also reflecting on the current COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown in NSW. His message was a positive one. Mackay urged us to respond with kindness and consideration in such difficult times and to focus on the common good. He acknowledged that as we share a common humanity, we are called to make sacrifices for the wellbeing and safety of others. He reflected on past generations who endured the extreme privations of the Great Depression and the suffering of world wars. The positive outcomes of such harrowing experiences were the clarification of shared values, the sorting of priorities, and the recognition that we exist in a vibrating web of interconnection and interdependence. 

In this current crisis, Mackay emphasised the value of neighbourhoods and authentically listening to one another. When one of the Zoom participants was highly critical of our politicians, Mackay responded with a most considered message. He stated that we are not entitled to criticise those in high places unless we are striving to do all that we can in our homes, in our streets and in our own communities and workplaces. Having listened to reporters and their questions at media conferences of late, and even politicians speaking about other politicians, I thought that Mackay’s response was timely, powerful and Christian.

As I have said in the past, the act of writing regularly is not only advantageous for students’ academic performance, but also of considerable potential benefit to an individual’s health and wellbeing. Writing is a medium for thinking and making sense of experience. Research suggests that writing expressively for fifteen minutes a day, three days a week, has the potential to significantly reduce stress, improve sleep and have a positive impact on one’s general wellbeing. In English classes throughout this remote learning period, students have been encouraged to write – and to write often. I have included some Year 12 students’ reflections I thought you may wish to read. They are responding to the following prompt: 

‘Wrong solitude vinegars the soul, right solitude oils it’.

With the current lockdown restrictions that have been put in place and imposed on the people of the Greater Sydney region, ‘solitude’ is a term that has become familiar with many, but it may be so incredibly foreign to them. The state of being alone is quite a difficult notion for individuals to grasp as we grow increasingly dependent on human interaction and engagement. As such, we continue to see a daily increase in the number of infectious cases in the community, as well as household and familial transmissions. Whilst it may be easy to argue that people are ignorant or selfish, or that it was a genuine mistake, I believe we can also consider the idea that many humans are inherently fearful of being alone. It appears that the words of Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and NSW Health continue to go unheard and unfulfilled as people are so quick to succumb to their emotions and imprudent actions. Thus, it is tenacity and persistence that are imperative to recognising and celebrating the ‘gift’ of these circumstances. By rejecting such a mindset, a profound bitterness and hostility pervades and ‘vinegars the soul’ which further institutes a loneliness that denies an ability to prosper. By embracing this lockdown, it engenders a restorative and empowering quality that ‘oils’ the soul. This can be achieved in the most fundamental activities including reading, writing, painting, drawing, cooking, and so much more. Solitude is not something to be feared. Even for those who have yet to encounter it, solitude must be a challenge for everyone to embark on in order to refine and establish a better version of yourself than you were previously. Noah Stuart

There is a fine line between being alone and being lonely, and although they may sound very similar, I think there is a great difference. ‘Wrong solitude’ can be a result of being lonely, and consequently feeling isolated. This kind of solitude often makes us feel vulnerable, groundless, abandoned and fragile. ‘Right solitude’ is found in being alone and having the ability to be comfortable in one’s own company. This kind of solitude can allow room for growth, healing and self-reflection away from the routines of daily life, ‘oiling’ the soul. This kind of solitude can be found in brief moments, such as when one takes a walk or peers out the bedroom window. It can be found in the deep admiration of nature or immersing oneself in study. It can be found in music, praying, painting or writing. We know we have support in solitude and we are not truly secluded, simply by ourselves. It is important to negotiate a plain and delicate balance between aloneness and isolation, especially given the current lockdown situation. I think people can be alone but not feel lonely, and others can feel lonely despite being surrounded by people. Depending on someone's personal situation, their soul may feel vinegared or oiled, despite the fact that we are all in the same position. People cope with this forced solitude in different ways, some by meditating or exercising, and others by sleeping or crying. I think the lockdown has compelled people to think and learn in new ways, and even confront their shadows.  Kate Puckeridge

The concept of solitude refers to a state of isolation — being alone. In regards to the solitude forced upon society by the COVID-19 lockdown, some may love it, most may hate it, and a few may be indifferent. For many people, there is a large disparity between what being at home during lockdown means. Some people have lost their jobs or have been forced into not working, and now have no income. Some are on the brink of losing everything they have worked for. Conversely, some are living quite comfortably enjoying their 'solitude'. They don't have to worry about the idea of losing a home, or not having food on the table, or going into severe debt because they don't have the money to pay bills. I think for those who are at school studying, the actions they choose are more important than ever. No study may bring temporary satisfaction, but will ultimately 'vinegar' their future results and opportunities. Those who do study, will be 'oiled' in their future, but perhaps feel 'vinegared' at present. At my age, it is hard to truly appreciate the significance of this imposed solitude. But from my parent's perspective, it is quite different. However, when I choose to take a break from study, and lay down on the grass in my backyard, with the warmth of the sun greeting me, my two dogs beside me, it is difficult not to enjoy just 'being'. There is something special about the sun's warmth which draws me. Although I may be able to intellectually understand the bigger picture of this 'lockdown', the struggle is more real for the adults in my life, and I am grateful that they have been able to manage it and make it easier for me. Sunshine Ferreiro-Deluca

In this latest NSW Covid-19 lockdown, citizens of ‘hotspots’ and surrounding areas have been granted a prime opportunity to relish in their newfound isolation which is often hard to find in such a busy world that we find ourselves in. The isolation from friends, family and other loved ones is distressing and obviously brings with it an overwhelming sense of loneliness and distress. However, this isolation is also a hidden invitation to engage in a meaningful exploration of self, allowing oneself to feel recharged and renewed away from the distractions of our world. Through this exploration, we are ‘oiling’ the soul. We are allowing the soul, and granting it, the opportunity to work at its best so that we, as an individual, can work at our best with an improved sense of self.  Charmaine Marquinez

Mrs Clare Murphy
English Coordinator and Literacy Instructional Coach