Confinement, quarantine, lockdown, work-from-home. This is all that is on everyone’s tongues these days. And with good reason, I agree. But how about — self-exploration, me-time, life lessons? Until today, we have only known of pandemics, wars and quarantine in books — to be very accurate, in our textbooks; never thought we’d be living it. The new normal — face masks, sanitizers at the ready, disinfectants, timely drives, essential services (only) — the weapons of mass safety.
For us, as advanced a world we are, the COVID-19 pandemic take-over is the most defining and catastrophic experience that we could face, among other social issues at hand. It was the third week of January ’20, and the faint news of the coronavirus hitting south-east Asian countries was in the papers, on the television, on my Instagram… you get the idea. I remember beginning to pack my bags for a work trip to Japan in the first week of February, something that was unmissable, because we had some clients that would be visiting for a vacation in the later months — facilities, services & arrangements had to be physically checked thoroughly. Little did we know, this pandemic would bring our entire world to a stop — a long halt. Quite the trip it was, 4 days in and out, masks on whatever happens, long waits at the airports and temperature screening and constant fear of being contained. I was thankful to be back home, gulping down haldi-paani for a good two weeks after. Hooray, because I came back without corona (not the fun, drinking kind). But to be very honest, it was the first time I was terrified of traveling to a new country.
Eventually, I ended up losing my job, like many others in the world, at this tough time. There is no rulebook for how to deal with a global crisis without a job — we just take what we have and figure out what to do with it. Here, what we all have had is ‘time’ — to work on ourselves — weight, personality, skills, mental health, you name it. The fact is, that every time there is a life-altering pandemic, the focus goes on to how to prevent the spread — relief and rescue — not on what can be learned for the future. I know this is bizarre, but if you have ever seen Nim’s Island — you will see that Alex Rover thrives indoors, never seen the outside, and bulk-orders Purell.
While we try to adapt to this new life, there are many Alex Rovers in this world, that have been “too careful” around people, places and things.
So, while I write this article on a sunny day in the balcony, I keep thinking to myself, what have we achieved in ‘lockdown’? There are a multitude of people who invented ways to work out and keep fit at home — no weights, just cans of water. Some are now novice chefs, churning out delicacies after delicacies. But some of us, have only just been working towards a healthier mind, trying not to lose it entirely in the chaos of the world today. Whatever you managed to achieve — it is an accomplishment; it is a step forward. It is more than you did yesterday, it is different than what you did yesterday — and that is something to applaud yourself for.
Like Socrates once said, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” Open your eyes, there is so much new around you. There is space, there is freshness, there is time, for you to reflect, recuperate and rebuild. Take, for example, our Indian governments. There is a pandemic on the loose, and instead of taking it slow, every state has actively engaged its policy makers into enforcing rules for social distancing and the likes. Police forces are at every nook & corner, stopping public from loitering (literally!). Challenges are a part of life, and the sudden freedom from a long containment, can cause some excitement. However, the governments have taken strict measures once again — whatever it takes.
In times of trouble — where you need a helping hand; we have it, unfortunately, just from a 6-meter distance. And it works for us. We have medics working day and night, tirelessly, to help cure COVID patients — literally putting their lives at risk for ours. We have psychologists, that are available 24×7 for those that need support — that need an anchor, when there is nothing else. There are rickshaw drivers helping ferry people those that cannot afford a vehicle — that is selfless. This list can go on — but all of it just shows that we are human, and we care. Simple.
At the end of the day, COVID has had an impact on all our lives in some or the other way — whether small or big. Some of us like working from home better than in an office — call it comfort, ease from the zero commute or merely a way to time your day better than you could before. Families have had issues, and resolved them — a better way to understand each other. The skies are bluer, the air is fresher and the waters are cleaner — really, check the stats for this one; the ozone layer is healing itself. We choose to cook a meal rather than to order one, because it is wholesome and fresh. The culture of meeting each other in homes is rising again, rather than the frivolous nights out. Yes, we miss the bars, really do; but sitting at home with a friend is a feeling in itself. Instead of playing games on each other, we have learned to bring back our childhoods with indoor games. The changes we will see are endless — growth always looks good on you, me and everyone else.
We survived martial law, a pandemic and the aftermath of it. Cure or no cure, there is always an infectious disease out there — and that is overconfidence; that nothing can happen to us, and we are immune. It is a little effort, but will go a long way for us and our future generations. The coronavirus crisis has opened doors for us to create a more compassionate world — humane societies that acknowledge a deeper connection between individuals. As rightly said by Chief Seattle once ‘Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.’
There are two scenarios to any situation — a pessimistic one and an optimistic one. More often than not, we apply pessimism.
But why not try to blend both? Let’s be angry, very angry, about how COVID stopped our lives, and how social outrage has escalated. But then, let us be calm and understand what it has brought into our lives, instead of take away. At the beginning of 2021 we are at a dramatic cusp of decision making: stop to think and then find your way. Look ahead and put the last year behind us. There are miles to go….
Written by Anisha Masand
Week 5, January 2021
