Lockdown. Masks. Social distancing. Quarantine. Our New Normal

Four words we have used,  heard of and read about , practiced or experienced more than anything else these past 6 months. Yes, we’ve already moved into the second half of 2020! Enough is enough say all of us! 

What were we all thinking on January 1st when we wished each other a very “ A Happy New Year “ or “ May Year 2020 be your best one yet! “  Oh boy! Aren’t we all going to remember it as possibly the worst one ever, in our lifetime. A wee invisible little Mr Coronavirus has brought the whole world to its knees! 

Truly, such a time of highs and lows this sudden lockdown has been! Positives and negatives, pluses and minuses, good and bad....we are seeing it all unfold before us like a horror film. After the initial shock, a sense of resignation has set in and we are just learning to get on with our lives. 

First, let’s dwell on the positives. 

• It didn’t take us long to count our blessings first. We had everything going for us yet, in contrast with the millions around us with untold suffering. 

• There was no better time or option for families to bond together  trapped within the walls of a home. More communication, more games played together, lots of chatting and  catching up…oh Yes! a new dimension to family relationships! 

• With no domestic help, we quickly developed the fine art of time and energy management , set up a smooth routine and in a brief while, we were experts at Jhadoo Poncha( Ah! discovered a corner where Muniamma ‘s broom never reached) ,  Bartan  Manjofying (with more sparkle than lakshamma  could ever impart ) and the bathrooms were bathed with Lysol  Harpic and gleam! Of course, all this exercise was so good for our body and souls! 

• We  even got the husband “ who never lifts a finger to help” to pitch in with duties and what’s more he was enjoying it too! 

• Those of us who relied on cooks, got our cooking mojo back as well…..scouring the Internet for new and unique healthy recipes , even posting pictures to show off to family and friends!

• There was  so much time to do the things we wanted to. Time to paint and craft, to sing and dance, to read and write and learn a new language. Discovering hidden talents, learning new skills, finding fresh joys. Technology and online learning zindabad! 

• We looked out of our windows and gasped at how quiet everything was, how clear the air looked, saw stars in the sky, even the twittering of the birds were several  decibels louder. It warmed our hearts to see peacocks strutting about freely on once crowded roads and jungle animals and sea creatures out of their habitats and reclaiming their rights on this earth. 

All this was just God or Natures way of punishing Man, we philosophized. A badly needed course correction ...setting right a cursed world that was fast losing it all. Destructing nature, destroying humanity with a proliferation of greed, selfishness, dishonesty and hatred. Yes!  All a  Manifestation of Kaliyug! 

But what was truly bothering  were the mind-blowing negatives that stared us in the face. The millions of  poor daily wage  workers , deprived off their livelihoods so cruelly and abruptly, with no food no shelter and no means of being back with their loved ones. Television images were extremely depressing, as we tracked the statistics and learnt of the untold misery and hardships millions were put through, the economy tumbling and worsening each passing day. 

Then Humanity took over, and how! We, the “Blessed Ones” put our giving hearts , minds and soul together to build up resources, raise funds and mobilise  people to deliver cooked food, rations supplies  and food kits, to thousands of stranded migrants and daily wagers. Logistic and other support were extended to farmers with massive inventories of undelivered produce. Stories abounded of the kind of generous help apartment communities, organisations and individuals dealt out, often putting their own lives and  safety at risk to carry out their mission of succour to the suffering. 

And THAT to me is the biggest positive out of a sadly negative situation. We discovered our humanity! We Introspected and realised that beyond a point, material cravings are so useless and for what purpose too. Heal the world instead through altruism, empathy and compassion. With love, kindness and giving charity. All this, along with cultivating strong and priceless human relationships  far out weigh the need for  abject materialism and over indulgence. Some even talked of minimalist living. 

As we emerge from this catastrophe and reprogram ourselves to the New Normal, that’s the big fat lesson to learn. To hell with everything else, let’s just put to practice the core takeaway from this whole crisis. Respect nature and our environment, respect all fellow beings all over the world  no matter what our creed culture or religion. Live in harmony with Man and Nature. 

Let’s just never stop at trying harder and harder to be better and even better human beings. 

Thank you Covid 19 for giving us a good kick in the butt! 

As written and contributed by Bhanu R. : Author, Book Worm, Artist and Silver Surfer

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