They’ve turned normality into events
I remember when it all began as I’d roam around in my car, notice the masked faces around me, and tear up. Yes, I would burst into tears, because this cannot be how life is lived. It’s not true that we need to hide our faces from each other, keep our distance instead of hug one another, worry if someone has no mask on, nor should I be concerned whether I can see my brother the moment he lands at the airport.
It hurts. I don’t want this to seem like a negative approach. I’m trying to say that the “normality” of human interaction was the only way most of us showed how we truly felt about each other. It represented spontaneity. Now, all you see are people waving hello from afar to those they used to skip, run, and hug tightly.
On the other hand, maybe it’s a good pause, you know, the spinning of the earth, how it’s become much slower, given the way we live now. And maybe that’s how it should be lived. At a slower pace. Probably we were forced to be part of the system that made us believe life is about the hustle, the “being too busy”, and missing out on so many human-to-nature unities. The previous world, the one before this pandemic, managed to teach us that watching the sunrise or sunset wasn’t a normal thing to do, instead, they’ve turned them into events. They were capable of showing us that going for hikes was something we needed to plan and pay for. They never told us that this vast world has always been all ours, has always been waiting for us to discover it freely. Nope, they dug us deep into the slavery of materialism to an extent where we needed a huge global crisis that shook us up and got us to realise that nature and humans’ care are humanity’s only salvation.
Who else is running around wild trying to find a small spot at any shore, anywhere, just to connect with the sun, waves, and entire universe? Who else is seeking a group of friends who can join them on a small hiking adventure? Who else can’t wait to hug their loved ones at the arrivals?
Confidently I say, all of us.
