Disclaimer: I’m not a Karen, nor is my name Karen. I’ve also never asked to see a manager before…

We are now 13 days into 2022, and there has been very little to inspire me. Our daily numbers in Victoria are in the 5 figure area; there are very few rules in place to try get the numbers down; PCR testing centres are overwhelmed / closed and it’s near impossible to get your hands on a Rapid Antigen Test anywhere. In addition to this, I am not allowed to get the booster (as they think my heart won’t cope), the government is barely keeping it together (I am being super generous here) and all the news is focused on whether or not Novak Djokovic will be booted out of Australia before the Australian Open or not. For what it’s worth, I don’t think he should ever have been let in to begin with, especially since now his sense of entitlement and lies have started to unravel him, but I can understand the Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s reticence in using his personal powers, as the argument would be that he could also use his personal powers to send a Tamil family back to Biloela instead of keeping two small children in detention and costing taxpayers millions every year.

Once upon a time, I dreamt about a career in politics. As a young, wide-eyed child who loved debating, I thought it would be the best job in the world, arguing with people day in, day out to make decisions that benefit my fellow citizens. As I got older though, things became clearer and I realised I wasn’t a good fit for a life in politics; public facing. I don’t know how to do the corruption thing, and I certainly am not the sort of person to stick to the party line if I believe it is wrong. I mean, look at what is happening on a Federal level here – the Prime Minister and his Cabinet are failing to understand what the public needs, nor are acting in our best interests, particularly in regards to the handling of the pandemic. We were late to the party on masks, PPE, vaccinations and now, Rapid Antigen Testing kits. Unlike other first world countries, who are providing the RATs for free, our government does not want to ‘disrupt private industry’ (meaning his donors and mates’ businesses) by not allowing profits to be made on kits. Apparently, despite having a universal health care system that we are levied on through our taxes is not enough incentive or justification for the government to provide for their citizens. Of course, they get theirs free. But that’s a different story, is it not?

So here we are, three years into a global pandemic and the general consensus is that we all feel a little defeated and tired. We have lost faith in the lockdowns / vaccine argument and there is a feeling of hopelessness in the air. People are ignoring the rules; cases keep rising and healthcare workers are overwhelmed, overworked and over it all. Especially when beds are filling up and people with other conditions are avoiding follow ups at the hospital due to staff shortages or fear of contracting the virus upon attendance. How politicians can be comfortable with this and sleep at night is beyond me.

Back on the whole Djokovic circus though, we are still waiting for a response from said government re his visa. The majority of Australians want him gone; the usual right wing suspects who have been protesting the past two years about every little thing are hailing him as their saviour and prophet. I think allowing him to play is disrespectful towards the other players, and is a huge slap in the face to the likes of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka who have been crucified by the media, the tennis associations and the Grand Slam circuit for less. The French Open have announced that Djokovic is free to contest the Slam unvaccinated which is a) contrary to what Macron has said re pissing off the unvaccinated contingent and b) highlights the innate sexism and racism that permeates the sport. Serena’s catsuit (to prevent clots) and Naomi’s mental health were met with admonishments, fines and threats yet someone wilfully ignoring the rules that everyone else is held to is welcomed with kids gloves.

I’m not allowed to get angry as it triggers more heart pain, but this really pisses me off. I’ve never liked watching Djokovic even though he is a very good player, but has relied on petty mind games (bouncing the ball at least 15 times before he serves; extended medical time outs for imaginary causes when he is losing) to win matches, and it explains why he will never be held in the same regard as the likes of Federer, Nadal, Murray, Sampras, Agassi, Chang etc etc. – the players who leave everything on the court, play fair and rely on tenacity, skill and sportsmanship. The Daily Beast called Novak ‘The Biggest Jackass in Professional Sports’ and ESPN called him a ‘profile in selfishness’, and whilst I don’t condone name calling, I think these are more then justified.

Time to calm down over an iced tea I think. Stay safe everyone!

B