. i hadn’t really thought much about living through through historical events, well at least not so close to home .
. i remember where i was on sept. 11th, 2001 and i will never forget . i remember the berlin wall falling . i recall ben johnson getting busted for steroids in 1988 . wars overseas . y2k . my first email . malala yousafazi . and so many more than deserve to be mentioned, but alas, i’m often critizised for being too long-winded . never did i imagine something like this landing on my doorstep . i feel ignorant, and embarrassed to admit that, because of everything else that’s going on in the world . in other people’s countries, homes, doorsteps and families . it’s been surreal to see this tide roll in to every nook and cranny of our lives .
. what is COVID-19 really teaching us? .
. i want to share with you some thoughts . it is reminding us that we are all equal, regardless of our culture, religion, occupation, financial situation or how famous we are . this virus treats us all equally and perhaps we should too . if you don’t believe me, just ask tom hanks .
. it is reminding us that we are all connected and something that affects one person has an effect on another . it is reminding us that the borders we have put up have little value as this virus does not need a passport . it is reminding us, by oppressing us for a short time, of those in this world whose whole life is spent in oppression .
. it is reminding us of how precious our health is and how we have moved to neglect it through eating nutrient poor manufactured food and drinking water that is contaminated with chemicals . if we don’t look after our health, we will, of course, become unwell .
. it is reminding us how fleeting this life is and of what is most important for us to do, which is to help each other, especially those who are old or sick .
. it is reminding us of how materialistic our society has become and how, when in times of difficulty, we remember that it’s the essentials that we need (food, water, medicine) as opposed to the luxuries that we sometimes unnecessarily give value to .
. it is reminding us of how important our family and home life is and how we must not neglect this . it is forcing us back into our homes so we can rebuild them and strengthen our family units .
. it is reminding us that our true work is not our job, that is what we do, not what we were created to do . our true work is to look after each other, to protect each other and to be of benefit to one another .
. it is reminding us to keep our egos in check . it is reminding us that no matter how great we think we are or how great others think we are, a virus can bring our world to a standstill .
. it is reminding us that the power of free will is in our hands . we can choose to cooperate and help each other, to share, to give, to help and to support each other or we can choose to be selfish, to hoard, to look after only our selves . indeed, it is challenges that manifest our true colors .
. it is reminding us to be patient, we shall not panic . we shall understand that this type of situation has happened many times before in history and will pass .
. it is reminding us that this can be a new beginning . this can be a time of reflection and understanding, where we learn from our mistakes .
. it is reminding us that this Earth is unwell . it reminds us that we shall look at the rate of deforestation just as urgently as we look at the speed at which toilet paper is disappearing off of shelves .
. i prefer to see this as a great corrector . it has arrived to remind us of the important lessons that we seem to have forgotten and it is up to us if we will learn them
or not .
. i digress . i hope you are all staying well . staying HOME . and staying sane .
. . i am here for anyone whether they need to chat, vent, discuss real estate or simply trade bad dad jokes . .
