Soul Food with Pia Richardson: Our COVID luck has stopped me from wondering why people move to Geraldton

As the borders around the world open up more and more, firsthand accounts of other countries’ experiences of life with COVID begin to trickle through. We see the impact on communities, on human life and on whole countries’ economies as they have navigated devastation on a scale that very few of us have seen in our lifetime. In just my own limited circles, I’ve seen accounts from Malaysia and China where restrictions were so tight that people began to feel there might never be a way out. In Bali an entire industry collapsed and will likely not recover for a very long time. I’ve heard firsthand accounts of early in the pandemic where in several different countries the loss of life was astronomical — people literally dropping in the streets and mass graves. A global catastrophe, made worse by political unrest, racial divides, natural disasters and a level of restriction on personal freedoms unfamiliar to many. And here in Western Australia I can’t help but feel that we are so incredibly lucky. We have enjoyed a mostly normal life for the better part of the past 2½ years. It is all too easy to look at what we’ve lost — and I don’t for a second want to take away from that — I know from my own experience that just the strain of witnessing trauma, and wondering if or when it will reach our door can have deep and lasting effects, but I believe it is so very important that we recognise exactly how fortunate we are. From the restrictions imposed on us to the time spent in masks or isolation — here in Geraldton we’ve lived in relative safety and normalcy while our friends all around the world have experienced something very different and rather terrifying. I was born in Geraldton and even though I choose to live here I’ve often wondered how people end up here — we have a rich and diverse community of people from all nations and I used to think “of all places, why Geraldton?” Now I think we are one of the luckiest places on Earth. We have our health, our freedom, a great economy (even if the cost of living is growing exponentially) and a thriving community filled with wonderful heritage, arts, culture, social enterprises, community groups and people from all walks of life dedicated to making Geraldton a better place. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see more people wanting to move here. Pia Richardson is the co-owner of Railway Health Hub, managing director of Crossroads Life, and runs Soul Food Cafe.