The world has changed in less than a quarter of a year. Coronavirus has pervaded planet Earth far and wide. There is no country which is safe from Covid-19. Who would have thought something like this would happen in our lifetime? It seems unreal. It happens only in movies. And it is natural to feel this way.
Is Coronavirus supernatural? No. How this disease came about is still not clear. When will this be behind us is unknown, as of now. How much more damage will the virus cause before it beats a retreat or is vanquished? No one can say. While scientists are working round-the-clock to beat the virus, we don’t know how soon they will find success.
More than 24,000 people have already succumbed to this virus globally at the time of writing this. The world economy has been critically hit. Experts say it's much worse than 2008. Revival could take years. The outlook seems gloomy. But die-hard optimists always live in hope. They look for silver-lining in every cloud. I decided to find mine. And there are many.
Before Corona (B.C), mankind was constantly on the move. It was like living on the treadmill. No time to pause or think. It was like participating in a race where the end is not near or clear. One just kept running. In some cases, even mindlessly.
After Corona (A.C), most people - except for those who work in essential services -have been grounded. It is equivalent to house arrest. However, in the house, one’s free to do anything as long as you keep physical distance, maintain hygiene and do not step out.
I work in news television which does not allow me to sit at home for 21 days. If I could, here are 10 things I would do.
1. Sit back and relax. Do nothing. Create a bucket-list.
2. Catch up on lost sleep. Adequate sleep relaxes the body and refreshes the mind.
3. Finish the books I could never complete. Despite my best efforts, there are a handful of books which I started but couldn’t read in full.
4. Watch films, television series, documentaries etc. There are a host of OTT platforms. And I have a long, pending list.
5. Enroll in an online course, learn a new skill and sharpen existing skills.
6. Start writing. It could be a book, a blog, or just noting thoughts on one’s diary. Or put thoughts on screen, even if it's unstructured at the moment.
7. Spend quality time with my family. This is priceless.
8. Connect with near and dear ones electronically. Video or voice call with friends who I have not met or spoken for a long time, extended family members I have lost touch with.
9. Start a new hobby, something which can be easily done at home. Gardening, cooking are a couple of examples. And there are other options as well.
10. Reach out to those who need help and find ways how the help can be provided. Helping someone who needs it, at the time most needed, can be very gratifying.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. But they are the first 10 that were top of my mind. Many of these are likely to hold true for the vast majority who are under lockdown. Each person can make his own list.
What about those who are part of essential services? What are the silver linings there?
- To start with, anyone who is playing a role in fighting this disease or supporting those who are doing so, is rendering invaluable services to mankind. Nothing is greater or more urgent now.
- The satisfaction one gets when one saves lives, either by providing care or spreading awareness, is next to none.
- Your family, friends and the community at large will always be proud of your efforts and services at this stage. They will truly appreciate it.
- Then, there are simple pleasures of life. For instance, the drive or ride to and from work now is a breeze. Never before has it been so much of a pleasure being on the roads. Travel time has drastically reduced. The quality of air has improved. The city looks and feels so much nicer. Those in lockdown can never experience this as much as those who are currently engaged in providing essential goods and services.
Once Coronavirus is behind us, never again in our lifetime are we likely to experience the same. Let’s make the best of it. This holds true for all of us. Wait, did I say never? Never say never.
The author is a Chief Executive Producer at News18 Network. Views expressed are personal.
Comments
0 comment