The Other Side

“Are we there yet?” – the question on everyone’s mind. Is the worst phase of the pandemic over? Can we restart whatever we can restart? What would “normal” life look like as we come out of the situation? There is no concrete answer for any of the questions at this point of time. Different

countries are at different phases of reopening. Even within countries, different states or regions are in different phases. Everyone is an expert and has an idea on how things should be but the hard reality is that no one really knows what’s next.

During the month of February this year, I remember viewing a video from our colleagues in China showcasing how they are dealing with the virus and the lockdown. I admired the strength and positivity reflected by everyone in the video. Little did we know that the whole world will be in the same situation just a month or two later. The same strength and positivity was required from everyone. The first casualty in any crisis is common sense. If a crisis of a global scale hits us, common sense just seems to disappear – as evident in the disappearance of toilet papers in the stores.

The initial days were a struggle since no one was prepared for this. The daily news kept a tally of the body count. But after a while, it did not make sense. Each human life is precious. Every person who lost his/her life was a father/mother, son/daughter, grandpa/grandma, friend to someone – and to that someone, it is a irreplaceable loss. We have no reason to pat ourselves in our back even if it is proved that the number of deaths could have been higher and we managed to keep it at a lower number. Every life lost is precious. To make things worse, if that is even possible, a few people tried to earn money and fame at the cost of people who were already suffering. I do hope that there is a special place in hell for these self-centered individuals.

Gradually, people tried to see some positivity even in the middle of the pandemic. Not tracking the daily news helps to improve the mood. But what also helps is the great stories we hear every day. We found new heroes in doctors and nurses working super hard to save lives. The humble grocery store workers were putting themselves at risk to ensure that we get the stuff we need. Many donated generously whatever they could for people in need. Teachers put in their best effort to ensure that the kids get the education they need. Virtual get-togethers became the norm. I personally talked to my college classmates after 20 years and my ex-colleagues after 4 years – it makes me wonder why we did not do it before. All the positive stories we heard made us believe that there is still good in the world.

I recently saw a photo taken by Voyager 1 as it sped out of the Solar System 30 years back. Earth was nothing but a “Pale Blue Dot”. It gives a perspective of where we actually are - this is the only place we call home. There is no where else to go – even if we settle somewhere else, I am sure we will take our unwanted baggage of problematic human nature with us. In any sense, we are all in this together. We need hope and a lot of love. A hope that we learn from this experience and turn out to be better individuals. A hope that we are better prepared to handle a crisis in the future and better still, avoid one. A hope that the world will be a better place for future generations and a hope that the current generation will work towards it. A hope that love prevails – love towards every single individual. Love towards all neighbors – near and far – because we are all nothing but neighbors. Hope and Love – all that is needed to take us through this crisis to the other side. And to keep us there.