The unpredictable yet fast spreading Covid 19 is still ruling the roost across the planet, creating heavy losses in both life and economy. Only a handful of countries would be able to show some small growth in GDP during the year and even in these nations, there will be no limits to the drudgeries of the disease.
Man’s ego had taken a heavy beating from Covid, a speck of an unseen mass having no life of its own, for he, having conquered space and matter as much as possible and having built up huge nuclear arsenals capable of destroying the whole planet, is brought to his knees by an incurable (as of today) virus!
So what is happening now? Man has started behaving, he has locked himself in, he observes social distancing and washes his hands many times, to ensure that Covid is nowhere near him. No travel, no parties, no entertainments, no physical show of affections; he had shrunk to himself, as much as possible!
Having brought his necessities down to the minimum, his expenses are at the lowest. No fuel expenses, no miscellany expenses, no drinks, no exotic food, no need for signature designer cloths, he had indeed become a minimalist. And he had realised that he could live easily with the minimum of belongings. Even though his expenses are at the minimum, yet, he could work out of home, communicate to anyone he wishes, could do virtual meetings, conferences and seminars, deliver his lecture to anyone across the world and manage anyone anywhere, by sitting at home. All these he could do at the minimum possible cost, a fraction of his erstwhile expenses. In a way, he is slowly coming to asking as to why he needs this much of money and material possessions. And, he realises that though he has all the wealth, he could still fall prey to Covid and perish.
He also knows that the lockdowns, shutdown and closure could continue and even if it is relaxed, it still could be brought back. He understands the outcome of the uncertainties and slowly he has started accepting them as part of his life. Like the convict coming to terms with his life sentence, the Covid life is slowly turning him to live in new normal standards, something he could extend to his post Covid times too.
Another folly that he slowly understands is that arrogance has no place in this Covid world. Earlier, he thought that with his money, position and power, he could take care of any situation and bring anyone under his control. When a speck of a virus could make him shiver, he knows now that another human being, howsoever low he is in the hierarchy, could still make him sick and dead and all the guy need to do is just to walk beside him with the virus inside. He now knows, “my welfare is not totally in my hands, but it is in the hands my neighbours and colleagues”. Thus, he realises the importance of inclusivity in life and of practicing empathy in his relationship.
He now is told that the pollution levels are coming down in the cites and the rivers. He is niw not breathing the foul smell of solid waste dumped around. He doesn’t see the dense fog of fumes on the road. He hears the chirps of the birds around him and he feels happy that the nature is improving and while he feels the guilt of his hands in polluting and destroying the earth’s balance, realises happily that if he continues his life like this, mother earth will get completely recuperated and would deliver him a healthy atmosphere around him to live a clean life sans diseases.
From his Covid day experiences, now he knows that he doesn’t need all the remuneration and returns of investments to all by himself. If he shares some of it with the needy, he could get a patient get out of bed, a student come out of his studies with a degree in hand, an elder could die better in an old age home and so on. He would find happiness in giving, sharing and caring and his strong sense of Karma tells him that as he gives, he gets, as he cares, he gets cared and as he sows, he reaps.
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