If, like me, you’re in NSW you might be at the epic sad and missing all your friends stage of lockdown. With 466 new cases reported in the last 24 hours to 8pm last night it seems like we still have a long ways to go before we can see everyone again.
I’ve been coping by putting all my attention and energy into re arranging and updating my bedroom, de-cluttering, getting back into YouTube and throwing myself into my university studies. Desperately, looking to the future but also regretting missing out on tickets to Sanctuary back in June. It was the last big goth event here and now we don’t know when there will be another; just when things were opening up again and we were looking forward to many more goth club nights and live shows we have to lockdown again.
The wardrobe de-clutter prompted me to wonder if I should keep all my fancy going out things or just let them go, but letting them go kind of feels like symbolically saying goodbye to my hope of seeing my friends out in the scene again and rushing to get on the dance floor as soon as the opening notes of “Spellbound” by Siouxsie and The Banshees play.
I know that I’m not the only one dealing with pandemic fatigue and all the things that come with that; utter frustration, loneliness and anxiety, so in an effort to alleviate those feelings I’ve started fortnightly “Gloom” sessions with my pals from the Annual Sydney Goth Picnic and have been more active in online spaces such as the Gothy Discord. I’m beyond grateful that these forms of communication, spaces and communities exist.
Some people say that we’ll be locked down till the end of the year and we’ll be missing out on spooky season so I have taken out my Halloween Jack pillow from storage to remind myself that spooky season is all year round when you’re goth.
So take care of yourself dear reader and remember that you’re not alone in the your pandemic fatigued feels or fears of never seeing anyone again and know that we will one day be able to hang out and dance again; hopefully that day will come sooner rather than later.
Menace Bunny 