Wesley D'Souza
May 18, 2020
The dawn of the quarantine era that arose in the wake of destruction left by
the coronavirus has spawned an ocean of articles containing some variation of
the phrase “in these trying times”. And though this article, too, shall use
this phrase at some point (time really does turn phrases into clichés) we
must begin to pay attention to the many wonderful things that have also been
happening quietly, but surely. One of them happens to be a popular spoken-word
poem that is doing the rounds of the internet. And in times where we might seem
to let things go out of focus, it serves as an optimistic reminder that we are both-
problem and solution.
The poem called The Great Realisation by @probablytomfoolery on Instagram is the one I am referring to.
Disguised as a bed-time tale for children, the poet himself speaks the poem in a soft and kind voice.
There is a feeling of calm that washes over you while you listen to the story of a species
that is narrated stanza by insightful stanza.
Of all the things that stays with me even now, something that is as striking as it is confounding is the
near
debilitating control that technology has over us. While conversations and arguments rage over various
social
media and in the comments sections of different sites, we may have let our conversations with people in
real
time fade away, let away into background noise. As Tom would say- it's not that nothing’s being said,
it’s that the meaning of our words is being watered down. Ironically, I need technology to write this
piece and bring it to you. But let’s not dwell on that. To those of us who have it, let us be grateful
for every little distraction that takes our fraying niceness away from the bursting point and towards
something productive.
It truly is wonderful that people are using this time to rebuild the relationships that they’d let crumble
in the hustle and
bustle of daily life. Many I know are rejoicing that they get to see more of their parents or children.
Amidst the volume of
baking and cooking and home workout videos that seem to be pouring in over the internet we see a lot of
smiles, a lot of laughter. senses and very often, this information can be overwhelming. Many psychologists
have reported cases of cell phone induced anxiety, stress, and depression.
But indeed, being, for all intents and purposes, trapped, really shows us how grateful we ought to be for
all that is available to us. But this gratefulness I accept with a great guilt; all the things that we can
be
grateful for should serve as reminders to us of the unimaginable privilege that we are a product of.
In a country where people are walking many hundreds of miles to get back home, I am grateful that
I already have a home. For every morsel that I can eat, there are people who make a meal once in two days.
And yet my dwindling belief in the goodness of humanity does not die; there are people out there who are
taking care of each other. NGO’s and other private institutions have started charities that are working
over-time, all hours of the day and night to get essentials to those that are truly vulnerable, while also
being exposed to great risk themselves..
A great many have poured in the thought that a lot of lessons are there to be learnt of this pandemic. The
time
of subtle hints has passed; this disease has, as has been pointed out, exposed an already broken system.
The
days of subtle allusions to the vices that grip our world have faded and great facades have been torn down
to
expose the inherent greed that has a choke hold on the world. We see it now, and all its enablers clear as
day. But these lessons are for those who have the time to educate themselves. For others, it is water over
an upturned pot.
