One flew over the cuckoo’s nest. You may get that reference straight away, or understand later when I explain.

I see talk again of remote learning for children from the new year, starting in Wales but it may just spread throughout the rest of the UK, or be a testing ground to see how much people can take. The drive to separate people has not spared the children at all, they are now in the firing line of it all. But I want to discuss a few points here – firstly the detrimental effect this is having on children of all ages and the strangely ignorant or flippant responses from a few adults and parents about what harm is being done, or not at all in some circles. I was a child once (as we all were), and remember it very well, so use that as a basis for trying to understand how some children may be affected by some of this. Everyone is different and will have a different environment and support network, so this won’t be the same problem for all I know, and all of my opinions are mostly speculation and theorising based on my own experiences.

Masks, currently acting as a safety blanket for some and as a bacteria harbouring vessel right next to your airways, but for developmental purposes, they cover up facial expressions. Those being extremely important to humans they say, and that we learn much from looking at the expressions someone makes when they talk. Now that most people are wearing masks and covering up their face, I take note at how little I actually look at people anymore. There is nothing of interest to look at, or smile at, or acknowledge. Which is fine if you have already worked people out and are happy not to engage with anyone. But what if you don’t know and haven’t worked things out yet? What if you rely on those movements to communicate, or understand something? I would expect it can feel very isolating and frustrating, for child and adult alike.

But it’s what you get from being around other people that seems to be overlooked here, or not, that might be part of ‘the plan’. I talk as someone who has been isolated, as a child I didn’t go to nursery, started school late, left early, got moved every couple of years and spent a big portion of my teenage years not leaving the house or having many interactions at all with people my own age. And for years, it showed. I managed as best I could with learning how to socialise, how to deal with people, social cues etc. But that was in a time when the world was just getting on with itself, and it was me who had fallen off the map, there was a world to try and assimilate into. Other perspectives, ideas, thoughts and understanding of things came from time with people. Even though I found it draining, and hard work, and confusing, it was necessary. I knew that at the time and that I had lots to make up for feeling that I had missed out.

I hate to think that so many are missing out now in similar ways, missing out on basic human interaction and learning about themselves and each other. Missing experiences they should have been afforded like we were. Instead they have been thrown under the bus in the most grotesque fashion, and used as a weapon for a purpose not yet revealed. We have come so very quickly from ‘don’t kill granny’ to ‘let’s jab 5 years olds’. Both aimed at children I might add. Priming them last year with a fear of being a walking biohazard, to this year of line up and give up more of your young life, which may or may not be affected long term with what they are pushing into them. I knew there was a distinct lack of compassion among us, but it’s like they have flicked a switch and people were given the green light to stop pretending they cared. And stop they did, it’s been alarming to see so many turn on their own friends and family, it leaves me with little hope for stranger helping stranger.

What we are allowing to be taken away is life, experience and time. Things you don’t get back, children can feel it, and we know it. But what I find most puzzling here, and I don’t think I have the answer to it myself, is why do parents want to send their children back into schools and colleges anyway? When it has been so clearly revealed over the last two years the people in charge of said educational places are instilling a rather strange mentality in people and allowing agendas to overshadow what they used to be there for. To train you for future employment and to be capable in society. It used to be the parents and immediate peers job I thought to help to teach you about yourself and the world around you. i.e. many people and perspectives leading rise to being at least given the opportunity to form your own view. Some people may remember their own school days and that there were a few teachers who had a rather narrow-minded view of the world, and it showed. But it was clear what was their opinion and what was fact – now the lines seem a bit blurred. And I’ll mention the employment again, as it can’t have escaped peoples notice that industry is currently changing and they are overhauling what was, and replacing with something else. Automation has been a long time coming, is not new and isn’t a conspiracy, but in reality, where does that leave future employment? What is it people are training for since it has been changed and steered towards total economic failure? It could be that most of the future jobs will be online, and the requirement to be on your own for long periods of time looking at a screen will serve you well one day, so they follow that path. Whether it be data processing, data mining, writing codes and algorithms or whatever they can come up with, to keep you busy and occupied and away from other people in real life. Maybe people are holding onto the old system to make it ‘seem’ normal in their own minds to keep a bit of stability for the future in their minds.

And here is where I feel as though we are all here voluntarily, like in one flew over the cuckoo’s nest. That we shout and holler about what is happening, even myself, but no-one is stopping it or leaving it behind (partly because they can’t with restrictions and constant propaganda to keep it current). But to be able to stop it if you could would mean to accept all of it, that the whole thing is a charade and that each section of their society is now interlinked and playing their role, so when one is shown to be awful and corrupt, another department still has you – you can walk away, but you can’t. We won’t treat your health problems, but sure, we’ll educate your kids and take ‘care’ of them. All of where we are is because of money, rules, regulations, statistics and targets created by people, not because of an illness.

It seems like a very sterile, controlled, monitored and joyless world being created around us as we speak, some still deny it, thinking possibly if they allow a bit of misery now, it will end soon. Which strikes me as rather a foolish thought process at this stage, but each to their own. Whether you see it coming or not makes no difference to what unfolds. Maybe that is how they are coping with their reality at the moment. It’s anyone’s guess where it goes from here, but hostility and division are being stoked and encouraged at every turn, there will be some strange times ahead.

(c) K Wicks