When the crisis is over

How do you define yourself before, during and after a pandemic?

I can’t say that the common person was prepared or even thought about the possibility of one occurring. I bet lots of people who weren’t paying attention in school won't even remember that 1918 saw a pandemic. 1918 seems so long ago, over 100 years and so much has changed since then. The world had seen its first World War, and we had a second one, even more devastating.

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It seems like the more time goes by, man finds ways to be more belligerent and assert his power over others. Boasting this unrepentant superiority complex, we are not civilized at all. We consider ourselves to be the top of the food chain, but we treat others and the planet worse than any other species. We also suffer from selective memory as humanity as a whole obliterates much of the good it creates by harming others and nature. Nature that has given us so much bounty; nature, our savior, can also be our destroyer.

Why is COVID-19 happening? Why now? I am not talking about where it came from but referring to its existential cause. Could it be nature’s way of teaching us a lesson? Our karmic destiny? Will we change as a consequence? Will our leaders reassess priorities? It would certainly be the right time to do so.

There are many occasions I can be a positive person, but I fear, in this case, my skepticism is king. I fear that the powerful will, more than ever, want to hold on to it, and this carelessness about the future of the select few who could make drastic fundamental change will be guided by fear and the obsession with power, control and greed.

If this pandemic taught us anything positive thus far is that we are much more dependent on one another and that together we can really make a difference, even if our togetherness seems skewed and mostly done virtually. The commonality of love for others has propelled the essential workers to become superheroes and this planet may propel others to make changes, but is it strong enough or will others resume their selfish isolationist ways, where survival of the fittest is at the core of a species that cannot learn from catastrophe to save itself?

As we take our time to connect with our loved ones in different ways, I feel more than ever called to make some changes. I feel lots brewing in my brain, a cauldron of ideas spinning, and I have faith I am not the only one. Hope and love will always trump fear and hate.