Life in a time of Coronavirus
We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life,
a better world, beyond the horizon
Franklin D Roosevelt
Being in quarantine or self isolation, gives you time to slow down and think.
One thing I’ve found myself thinking is, what will our world look like, after this pandemic? There are predictions of redundancies, companies who will cease trading and a global recession. But apart from the economic factors, consider for one moment the positives for the environment and in our lives.
In recent days, life has been very different. We haven’t bought anything other than food. We’ve simply bought what we needed, no more. It has been a good reminder of how little we all need and how much over-consumption there is in society. Maybe we might become more conscious consumers?
I’ve wondered how some people might feel, spending more time than usual in their cluttered houses. Is this an opportunity to donate unwanted items and achieve more order and less chaos in our homes?
We haven’t been out socially. We haven’t had a beer. Instead we have taken time to cook fresh; nutritious meals, with non processed food. That’s got to be a good thing. We’ve definitely spent longer online, talking to others, especially those who live alone. But we’ve also had more time to talk with each other.
As life has looked less busy, we’ve been able to take more rest and do more of the things that we enjoy; taking photographs, writing, listening to music. We’ve been out for long walks in nature. We’ve gazed up at blue, blue skies, which look so clear and you can’t help but wonder if the earth isn’t enjoying a bit of a breather. With less people flying, the air pollution is drastically reduced for now. Many places around the world, will benefit from this time without crowds of people, and revitalise.
We’ve heard of people reaching out to others, acts of kindness. A good friend walked around her neighbourhood and collated a chart of everyone’s phone numbers, so if anyone needed help, they could ask for it. Another friend spoke of a local group she had signed up to, to look our for the more vulnerable members of the local community. In any emergency situation, you will often see some people coming together and being a little more community minded; a shift away from people living in their bubble and only thinking about themselves. Long may that last.
KP has been teaching classes using ‘Google Meets’, live video links where he talks with his 20+ students and facilitates their learning from a distance. As with any teaching, you must be resourced to the hilt but it can work, with good organisational skills. Parents are taking on some of this role too, which must be challenging. But for many, instead of kids spending 30+ hours each week with their teachers, they are now getting to share extra time as a family.
Let’s not forget for one moment of all the people who have lost their lives to this virus, those who are critically ill and those who have worked tirelessly to help them. The pandemic has brought with it much tragedy.
But has the crisis also presented the ‘reset’ button, that the earth and its inhabitants all needed? A chance to ‘re-charge’, for us and our planet.
When things eventually go back to normal, what will you have learned about yourself and your family, through this global pandemic?
© Maggie M/Mother City Time
Amazing post Maggie. Indeed it’s time to reflect about our personal lives too and think about things that really matter in life. It’s also a time to draw closer to the creator of the Universe, Mighty God. He is in control of every situation.
Asante kabisa Esther. Your faith is strong. Many of us find ourselves in unprecedented times. But it is also an unprecedented opportunity to come together, to help and support. Enjoy some extra family time, while schools are closed. Stay well and happy.
I loved reading this poignant little article Maggie.
A great reminder of how to use this precious ‘slow’ time we have been granted through some divine intervention that felt we needed a reality check!
Hi Doug. Glad that you liked it. This is a time of mass slowing down and a perfect opportunity for reflection. I’m seeing more and more articles suggesting similar things. This is a chance for us all to take stock. And it’s a massive chance for the planet, to have a rest. Stay well and happy. Keep enjoying Mother City Time.
Just had a chance to look through the blog properly.
This is an excellent article with an excellent perspective of what w should all be doing in this time of isolation.
Find ways, new and old of connecting with our friends and family we can all do.
BUT, connecting or reconnecting with the earthand mother nature is something we MUST take this great opportunity to do. There are so many ways to do so, but sadly many don’t care, nor will they just take a step away from the technology the binds them inside their homes.This is especially so of Millennials.
Taking time to breathe in the air that’s now fresher than it’s been in decades is one of the simplist ways.
Or listening to the sound of birds that can now sing so sweetly and actually be heard.
But how many will just a few minutes each day to do that?.
Thanks for your comment Colleen. We have all been given a chance to slow down and think, not only about our communities and our environment but also about ourselves. How much of the time do you hear people say, “I have no time”. Well, your time is now. Taking time to be introspective, take stock and set personal goals is so important now. Realising who and what is truly important to you, is no longer a soundbite on social media but rather, a way of life for us all. I was replying to Antoine’s piece from Shanghai and we were both commenting about the long term effects of the Coronavirus. You have spoken about this too. Could things change for the better? Many of us want to see a fairer world. We all have time to identify ways to live differently. I’ve heard from friends who now see the potential to work from home more often. You and I have talked about the need for working conditions and contracts for key workers and health professionals to be reviewed. I hope that politicians and individuals will rise to the challenge to identify better ways to do things. Let’s not go straight back to the ‘rush rush’. Perhaps we can hope for some societies to re-design, instead of reverting to profits over people, mass consumption and pollution of our world.