Come out, come out, wave and shout

Until lockdown against the coronavirus started in Victoria, Stephanie Saunders was always out and about visiting family and friends and keeping herself busy.

The Braeside Park resident was – like others- brought to a halt when lockdown was brought in and everyone was asked to stay at home.

“It was a difficult moment but I am not one to be too down for long,” Stephanie said. “I was missing my friends in the village, and was racking my brain how to keep in touch without breaking the rules.”

Drawing inspiration from how the Italians tackled their quarantine, Stephanie decided that it was time to act. She put together a notice into each villagers’ letterbox, asking residents to ‘come out, come out, wave and shout” on Thursdays at 10.30am.

And out they came for three days until it became obvious that keeping people apart was becoming rather tricky.

“It is human nature to want to hug and to come closer but we have been asked to keep apart by 1.5 metres and so I decided that we should stop the activity,” Stephanie said.

Not one to stop, she has been keeping in touch with her friends by phone, and has been enjoying watching black and white movies and the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Stephanie moved to Braeside Park ten years ago, and has never looked back.

“It was the best decision I made, I love the village and the people, I like the fact that I can be involved when it suits and be by myself at other times,” she said.

One of the sad aspects of this time has been not able to be a part of her great grand-daughter’s first birthday party.

“Rituals and milestones are important part of my family, and not to be able to be a part of that was very sad.”

Stephanie turns 83 in August, and she is hopeful that she can share that birthday with her family.

“I am not looking for the grand experience that I had when I turned 80 when I went up in a hot air balloon. A little party and get-together is all I am asking for.”