Sunday, May 3, 2020. It’s morning. Lazy coffee time complemented by Chris Smither playing in the background, setting the tone of beginning the eight week quarantining at home. Earth seems to know the feeling since the day’s hue is not happy or sad but melancholically light gray.
The privilege of being in the comfort of my spacious and well located home almost makes me forget the light gray day feeling, yet the uncertainties of the now are too uncomfortable and create a much stronger focal point.
Will any of my loved ones be sick? Will they be destined to leave the planet alone without proper goodbyes. Will I leave the planet alone? Will we have jobs? Will we be able to pay for food, housing, or health? What will the future be?
Earth’s melancholic light gray day reminds me that my uncertainties are already the reality for many in my town, in my county, in my state, in my regional area, in my country, in countries all over the planet.
What are the lessons that this little bug that hacks our bodies can teach us? Certainly in science: biomedical, statistical, financial, social and political studies are already connecting past present and future to draw tangible outcomes. But what about for us humans in an individual level? What are the lessons? Or yet, are we willing to respect COVID-19’s imposed reset and take the time to learn the lessons being taught?
It’s clear that this health hack is highlighting all the ills of western society (the only one I can speak of). The same way the virus is hacking human cells triggering an immune response and consequently a battle that disrupts and potentially fails one’s respiratory system it is also hacking humans to fight with each other aggravating all the ills of this country. Why aren’t the the corporations and the rich (financially and medically) bailing out the small business and workers who are out of jobs? Why are the rich profiting when many have to choose between eating, or getting and making others sick? Why are our leaders choosing to treat the social impact of the virus using political tools that only reinforce the ills that are making our society even sicker?
COVID-19 healing can be long, painful and lonely, and it is naive to think that any social healing would be fast, painless or pleasant. What are the lessons that we are willing to learn to live in a more healthy: just and harmonious life? Can we learn to brighten the day’s hue for everyone in the plane? We my not be here to tell.