In this topsy-turvy time, the one
thing that has remained steadfast is the daily sunrise and sunset. In these uncertain
times, the one thing that gives hope is the unrestricted and uninhibited
flights of the soaring birds. In these strange times, the one thing that brings
familiarity and comfort are those who you can be with. And that is what I saw
as I walked this sixtieth evening of the corona quarantine times.
As the phone clicked to capture
this image, I could not help but smile in gratitude and humility. Both the
emotions came from three very different angles, three that I thought of sharing.
The very first one is in
gratitude of nature and in humility of how even today, after humanity has
plundered so much of it, nature seems to be working constantly to sustain
humanity. The sun still shines to give us food, the rivers still flow to give
us water and the wind still blows to ease the heat. Nature may want to reclaim its
glory, but it is not blazing Armageddon. The warning shot may be with rage but
not in revenge. It is those open spaces that have not been plundered to be
populated by mankind that are sanctuaries of safety, and ready to take those
who will accept the unfamiliar ways of life. Such love, compassion and tolerance
are the most prominent traits of mothers and it is no wonder that from time in
memorial we have been taught of the beauty of mother nature and mother earth. I
bow down to the greatness of these mothers who are trying to forgive us and
help us find a new way of life that may be more of collaboration and
co-existence.
The second one is in gratitude of
the untiring and heroic service of the front line workers, and in humility of the
unrelenting human spirit. These have not
been easy times even for those who have comfort of a roof on their heads and
food in their stomachs. And in these times when you want to be with the ones you
love the healthcare workers are rallying day after day to ensure that they can
help as many recover as possible, not just from corona but from other ailments
as well. All the while being the most vulnerable to this so far incurable
infection. Just as them, it is the law enforcers who hear the brickbats and the
criticism and yet are out there to ensure that they can maintain discipline
which is the first line of prevention in the current times; even if it means
they catch the virus. Joining these brave forces are the city sanitation and
cleanliness workers who are ensuring that the spread of other diseases is
curtailed, the public transport employees who are getting all of the above to
their stations of duties, the logistics teams ferrying medicine and food
globally and locally to make sure everyone has enough, those who are getting
the essentials to you and me putting themselves at risk and then there are the volunteers.
There are so many other segments who are working to keep life as uncomplicated
as it can be, that I cannot name them all here, but I sincerely salute them all.
And last but not the least I am
in gratitude of the those who told me I was being a romantic, forcing me to see
the other side of the coin and I am humbled by their acceptance of the stark reality.
At the start of the pandemic, as India went into a lockdown, I said India would
never be the same again. Of course, the world was never going to be the same again
but the romantic in me theorised that this was the nation’s second world war
moment. The moment where the millennials stopped to spend and started to save,
where the entrepreneurs stopped to cut the pie and started to cooperate to grow
the pie, and where the politicians forgot their differences and adopted
bipartisanship to sail us through to the other side of the storm. What the last
two months have highlighted though is while the millennials may be seeing a new
way of life, our industry and political system is far too hard wired to bring
in the shake that we need. It has been disappointing to say the least! We could have done a lot more and for a lot less!
We could have done for a lot more with a lot less! There truly have been some
great decisions but the setback is when we look at some of the more recent
decisions. They are not just confounding but incomprehensible. I want answers
and have reached out for them but am but a mere ordinary citizen and hence received
only what I deserve: silence. My balloon deflated, I feel defeated because
probably naïve as it was, I overinvested in the belief of good and the
judgement of the wise.
Yet in this defeat lies victory:
victory of the human spirit of which mine is a part! I may have learnt a lesson
but I am ready to embrace this new normal, ready to embody the sun daily and do
my part, ready to hope again and fly with the birds and ready to stand with
those who are mine because they are the ones who I answer to and who understand.
Be well and stay safe!
