- The good, the bad and the ugly
Coronavirus is without doubt the scariest thing faced by man in living memory, barring the people of Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Mexico and many African countries, of course. There’s no telling who will succumb to the silent killer and who will live to fight another day. Those who will have lost their dear ones to the virus will never be able to look back at the crisis in the way others will. Indeed, many can already put a face to the stats – in some cases the face of a loved one. On the economic front, the daily wagers are having a particularly rough time, as well as those who have been sent on ‘unpaid leave’ by their employers. This loss to life and livelihood is the ugly part of coronavirus, the effects of which could span over years. There are some other aspects of it too, both good and bad, for those who will escape it relatively unscathed.
The pandemic has been a stark reminder of the fact that man is not in charge. There are laws that govern the universe, and man undoubtedly has figured many of those out, but he doesn’t make the rules. If nothing else, coronavirus is likely to put on hold all the arrogant talk about the realization, as early as 2050, of ‘death of death’ and ‘amortal’ life. If delusions are bad, and there can be no doubt that they are, then this certainly is good news. The bad news is that, if past record is anything to go by, this will be momentary. The cockiness will soon come back with a bang, as it so often does after a crisis.
The AQIs of the more polluted cities of the world are down considerably. Living in the subcontinent, one cannot be thankful enough for it. If evidence was needed to support the position that pollution isn’t inevitable, then this is it. This is very good news. The bad news is that the world is sure to go on its merry way the moment this crisis is over.
Reasonable health, having something to eat and drink, having a roof over one’s head and the freedom to engage in everyday activities should be enough to feel thankful for. Many of us are now realizing that our lives before the crisis weren’t that bad after all.
How many men do you know who are sensitive enough to consciously stay away from you when they are suffering from seasonal flu or the like? Chances are that you can count them on the fingers of one hand. The rest, when they meet you, simply extend their hand – the hand that only moments ago was engaged in wiping their nose. The only precaution they think necessary before the cordial handshake is graciously shifting the tattered tissue paper to their other hand. (Some of them insist on hugging you too.) The more polite souls among us have always found it hard to decline the handshake (or the hug). While it’s unlikely that these compulsive hand-shakers and huggers will mend their ways, the good news is that you can now solve this problem once for all by unambiguously declaring your policy that, corona or no-corona, there will be no handshaking or hugging with anybody as far as you are concerned. But this can only be done on the first day back to work or school, or you will find yourself in the familiar predicament again. Do not let this opportunity go by.
There’s potential good news for married couples too. Most of those who find themselves obliged to leave home in order to put the bread on the table are apt to crave spending more time at home. Being home only on weekends they naturally tend to view staying home as the ultimate luxury one could imagine. Traditionally, the party that manages the home has failed to take this view, because, quite predictably, it tends to think of its job as a lot tougher. The bottom line is that one party’s idea of fun comprises going out as much as possible while for the other party it has been to stay in and have a happy family time. This has always been a major source of conflict between couples. The post-corona world offers some likelihood of mitigation of stress here, for the party of the first part has realized that being home is no cinch, and therefore has a newfound respect for the party of the second part. That said; don’t let yourself get carried away yet, for the party of the second part has had no such realization. In fact, what with being compelled to be holed up together during the lockdown, the esteem for the party of the first part may even have gone down a notch. (I am talking about the rule here; notable exceptions are always there, which prove the rule.)
Thanks to coronavirus, most people have had this realization that life – even the dreariest and the most unremarkable one – is not something to be taken for-granted. Reasonable health, having something to eat and drink, having a roof over one’s head and the freedom to engage in everyday activities should be enough to feel thankful for. Many of us are now realizing that our lives before the crisis weren’t that bad after all. This certainly is good news. The bad news is that this sort of realization is usually rather short-lived once the ordeal is over. According to a conservative estimate, it will be around fourteen to twenty-one days before the good old grudges and all the whining about how bad life is will be back as if nothing has happened.
