There will come a time when all this COVID-19 business will seem like a strange, dreamlike aberration.
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Or so we hope.
One day, we might tell our children and grandchildren about the weird era during which everybody wore masks and skirted around each other in the street. We stopped shaking hands and being easy with strangers.
It's important to remember the day-to-day reality of an extraordinary time like this. And it's for that reason we here at The Canberra Times have created a kind of memory bank.
The Canberra Times Lockdown Hotline is a phone number you can call to record your feelings and observations regarding your time in lockdown, so we can look back in later years and remember what this pandemic was like.
Just give the number a dial, listen to the greeting, wait for the beep, and leave your message.
One of our photographers, Dion Georgopoulos, came up with the idea for this collective memory of a capital in lockdown. He'll be curating your voices each week and presenting them in a video format online.
Dion says he wants to understand how the average Canberran is feeling.
For example, what does your inner monologue sound like? How is your life different from what you used to think of as "normal" times?
What significant events have happened during your time in lockdown - and have you missed out on any?
How do you keep in touch with your loved ones far away? Has it brought you closer to your immediate family? Has it changed your relationship with them?
What about positive experiences - have there been any welcome surprises?
Most importantly, what are you looking forward to after the lockdown is lifted?
Professor Nicholas Brown of the Australian National University is a fan of the idea.
"It's a great thing to do," the historian says.
"One of the really distinct things about Canberra is that it's had to make its own distinct community."
One caller has already told us what it's like to have her mother bring food around, but only to be able to "touch hands" through the glass.
We don't expect you to leave your name (though it would be nice if you did leave a name and age, for context).
It's an exciting project. If you want to be part of it, just give the Canberra Times Lockdown Hotline a call, on (02) 6280 2280.
Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this outbreak of COVID-19 in the ACT and the lockdown is free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also sign up for our newsletters for regular updates.
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