In the Times of Corona Virus!

Virus! It’s the second most common word spoken these days, the first being “Corona”! One cant comprehend what the owners of the popular Mexican beer brand “corona” would be thinking at this juncture. Imagine yourself ordering for 2 pints of Corona in a public place. Imagine actually drinking it and saying- “I love Corona!”

This is just one example of how this pandemic has impacted businesses and personal lives all around the globe!

Corona- this word has been life altering for most of us. Especially “us”- the “90’s kids”! We are a generation who have always taken great pride in enjoying the best of both worlds- before & after the world wide web and the mobile phones happened!

As we passed through childhood to adolescence to adulthood; we saw the world transiting before our very own eyes from the undemanding traditional yester years to the technologically driven modern society of today. We transited and adapted with ease alongside this evolving scenario. We consider ourselves as the perfect blend of the simple past and the smart future.

But come to think of it-we didn’t really encounter any drastic world events during our short lifespans. We weren’t a part of the famines, the World Wars, the Plague, the Spanish flu , the Partition or even our country’s Freedom fight! Most of us didn’t even struggle for the basics of roti, kapda and makaan like our parents did. I would say: we were more or less served everything on a silver platter (atleast we had a platter).

Having said that, we did witness the 9/11 attacks on the USA and the 2008 Mumbai attacks. We are also dealing with the constant threats of over population, global warming, climate change and declining natural resources. However, though these events are transforming the entire geo- political map globally, none of them have actually impacted our lives on a large scale, at a personal level and on a daily basis. Infact, this is news that we read online and instead of realistically doing anything about these issues, we love to enforce our opinion by posting, tweeting and trolling.

FYI the pre- covid “normal” for us sounded something like this- complaining about poor telecom network, snail speed internet, long working hours, ‘it’s so hot outside’, ‘where shall we travel next?’ , ‘oh I am soo bored!’, ‘I am stuck in traffic’, ‘I need starbucks coffee’ and so on and so forth. These were our most troubling concerns and it was a never ending rat race.

And while we were busy cribbing and grumping about our “first world problems” – nature decided to strike back! Hola- enters the crown virus.

And now here we are— trying to adjust and adapt to the new normal!

Suddenly this extremely dynamic and proactive happy-go-lucky generation found itself in a world unknown to them. We were home bound and restricted, socially cut off from friends and colleagues. We were eating home food 7 days a week and we didn’t know what to do with all the leisure time we had while being trapped indoors.

So we did what we are best at! We started binge watching Netflix & Prime. We played every online game possible. We got “re-addicted” to social media. But there were no new pictures to post ! No hairdo’s to flaunt , no weddings to attend and no holiday destinations to show off! There were no check-in’s and check-out’s! So we resorted to throwbacks. But alas! that only made us realize all that we were missing out on.

Time went by , and as many conspiracy theories regarding this virus grew , our inner anxieties and apprehensions grew too! Just like the virus there was an invisible cloud of uncertainty engulfing us. Along with the tragedies & the sufferings around us there was a deep fear of the unknown- the unknown future & the helplessness of the present. We were used to charting our every move, being the directors and planners of our lives, but the sudden indecisiveness and a lack of control left us confused and agitated. We felt lost and misdirected.

And yet, Hope prevailed.

“The Fight-or – Flight response” is a concept we were introduced to early on in medical/dental school. This is a physiological reaction in response to a perceived harmful event or threat to survival!

In simpler words- “We Chose to Fight Back and Survive!

The simple pleasures of our childhood days re-entered our lives. Time slowed down and we started re-discovering our selves. We remembered how a simple life can be filled with joy.

The “shaam ki chai and nashta” (evening tea and snacks) made its reappearance. As the entire family gathered to watch “Ramayan” ( mythological Hindu epic) together, the children learnt the names of Raam and Sita instead of Justin Beiber & Shakira!

We started noticing the sunrise and the sunset and the felt proud that the air was cleaner and fresher. The sky was bluer and the roads neater.

Inspired by nature and with time on our hands, the dusty old guitars came out of hiding and so did the dried up paintbrushes. Childhood talents re-surfaced. Every household discovered a highly skilled chef as social media flooded with pics of food galore! All those books waiting to be read were pulled down from the shelves. Our home reverberated with sounds of music & dance and poems being recited and stories being retold. Plants and flowers blossomed in every balcony.

Children grabbed this opportunity to maximize their family time. The all time favorites were back- Ludo, Monopoly, Uno, Pictionary, Charades and chess- Ah! the victory shout and the sulking loss- a melody by itself! One day the little ones will describe these times filled with love and undivided attention in golden letters.

Long lost friends and family members reconnected over video calls. Nostalgia and memories filled every conversation with love and laughter. No one was rushing in or out. We all had time! We all had each other!

While the big city dwellers longed for open spaces & freedom, the small town inhabitants gloated for the very first time. “Humare pass terrace hain, Garden hain, Farmhouse hain, tumhare pass kya hain??”( We have bigger houses, terrace gardens, and lesser cases, what do you have?)

We went back to the basics- as Yoga, Kada, Haldi and Honey re-entered our lives , our focus shifted to the need for healthy eating and stronger immunity. It dawned upon the nation that the “Dadima ke Nuske” (Grandmothers quick fixes) was a treasure trove of ancient Ayurveda forgotten but not lost forever.

Everyone started helping out in house chores. Cleanliness and hygiene got a new meaning.

We were slowly learning to live with less.

To be happy without splurging and to be content with the present. We started innovating and re-educating ourselves. Not everything had to be larger than life. Not everything was meant to be exploited for our benefit. We also learned to be kinder and politer and to value the basic liberties we take in life.

The first definitive sign of life is when a newborn takes its very first breath. That’s the first freedom and the first liberty we take.

“Today the right to breath freely has been snatched away from us.“

Is that why we feel so restricted and helpless? As our civilization progressed from hunter gatherers to farmers to industrialist; we Humans have managed to climb to the top of the food chain in a very short span of time. But have we conquered it all? After billions of years and millions of species have humans forgotten that they don’t own the planet but are just a miniscule part of it?

This year could not be less predictable- with lockdowns and pandemic, devastating cyclones, locusts attacks, major border clashes, global protests, wildfires, stock market crashes, floods, and tragic losses of eminent personalities – these were the mere highlights of the year 2020. Add to this the personal battle every common man is fighting every second – mentally, physically or financially. Do the other species feel as threatened as us? or rather, do they feel endangered because of us?

But, as our planet continues to lash its fury upon us, we are learning to live with this change. We must not give up! Humans are resilient and strong and we will survive through this all. But when this all goes away, let’s remember to not mess around with nature’s way.

The new normal my friends, isn’t wearing masks and using sanitizers. It’s not about social distancing but about being more “socially aware and tolerant.” It’s not about happiness on social media but bringing peace and contentment in our everyday lives. It’s not about being modern or popular, its about co-existence and empathy. It’s not about Consumerism but about Humanism.

It’s time we stop blaming the viruses, the government, the hospitals, the media, the presidents & the prime ministers. It’s time that we own up and take responsibility for ourselves. It’s time we start showing respect to our place on this planet.

It’s our choice- To Merely Exist or to Live?

And while u ponder over this long and elaborate read- let’s go and get some corona pints in! 🙂

Cheer up! We have a lot to Thank for, a lot to Celebrate!

My new normal as a Dentist
Working & Humming the song-
” I Will Survive!”