Pandemic — Are we busy even now?
The last 23 years of my life was nothing more than run-of-the-mill. However, the last 23 days have been surprisingly noteworthy. Each day I am posed with the same question, are you still busy?
A lower-middle-class teenager often doesn't dare to be a billionaire. His head trip’s default destination is supporting his family. Sometimes his updated annual package lets him afford a motorbike, the choice is obviously of the budget. I fall into the same category. There is another aspect to the same story if the pandemic had hit two years earlier, the same teenager would be studying his final year and the only source of income would be his father’s scrubby business that works on the day to day basis. Millions in the country share the same horoscope. Every single stall owner on the side of your road gambles on your tastebuds. If your craving is strong, his starving is gone.
On the evening of March 13th, I continued to blame the traffic and million other little things that weren't right in my life, on my way back home from the office. 23 days fast forward, the traffic within and outside has totally settled. I believe we all are on the same boat, no matter how scraped your past seemed to be, it would have definitely failed to match the mammoth chaos caused by the pandemic.
The cause of the pandemic might be a pocket-sized miniature virus, but the visible irony here is that life supports that too. This miniature has put a brake on our infinite ambitions. The ambitions which would have probably taken us nowhere in the first place. This miniature has taught us, the scale of technology is not directly proportional to whiz of life energy.
Suddenly the little conversations with our loved ones have become a number one priority. We skipped these, blaming our work culture. The same lemon which would have rotten in the fridge is suddenly valued more fearing scarcity. Suddenly the little walk and talk with our friends missed due to our lethargy is eating one’s heart out. The sudden spike in human bonding is the only blessing in disguise, amidst the pandemic.
The new version of life has certainly shown us a phase of undesirable clutter. However, it has also gifted us a new perception of life. Next time when you miss a movie at a multiplex don't be sad, be happy u got 3 more hours to help your parents conclude their daily chores. Don't be sad about not achieving an ambition, be happy for initiating a dream.
Lastly, the pandemic has coached us on the fragile nature of our lives. The root cause of any despair is non-acceptance, during these 23 days we have accepted almost everything which may have been impossible to have accepted on the 13th of March. The buzz word busy has finally been buried with the gift of quarantine. I believe this is an opportunity to upgrade our lives, a life filled with gratitude, rather than showing off an unnecessary attitude. Once you start celebrating every moment, even a nightmare like a pandemic will become a daydream. Stop being busier and start being healthier and happier.
