A short trip downtown the day after the curfew was implemented a couple of weeks ago, was gloomy. Life on usually busy streets like Regent, had suddenly halted. With most businesses closed, the people were few and far between and it felt like a gloomy air was filling our lungs with melancholy and fear.
Even Bourda Market was desolate. I had never witnessed that, even on holidays. The only thing that seemed normal were the vagrants along the pavements. With no masks or hygienic supplies, I wondered about their protection from the virus. Their value to society can be probed, but their lives matter too, whether to remind us of about frailties and imperfections or to humble us. And with life’s uncertainties, circumstances could very well land us in the place they sit on the dirty concrete pavement smelling of wretchedness and hopelessness. But perhaps existing in filth had long prepared them for a season such as this. Perhaps their escape from the normal pressures of life will also save them.
With 63 cases now in Guyana, some have allowed fear to consume them. Even overseas-based Guyanese have expressed how worried they are for our country. I ceased communicating with acquaintances whose focus is on gloom and doom for Guyana. I refuse to let anyone disturb my peace or transform my calm to inner chaos. We should ignore or divorce ourselves from those who negatively affect our energies.
But some are assuming that hundreds more could be infected and asymptomatic. Some have considered PAHO/WHO’s estimate of twenty-thousand cases and believe the tranquility we are experiencing by the streets being less busy and the silence, could be the calm before the storm. But what does it benefit one to allow their heart to be constantly troubled obsessing about the worse outcomes of COVID-19? Sorrow does not have to endure throughout the night and day, but instead we should seek joy and peace. It is optimism that will save our sanity. Though we cannot be lax in our preparation for the worst outcome, we should not allow fears based on possibilities and uncertainties to control and ultimately harm us.
Information about the virus is being disseminated every day; places like the Cliff Anderson Sport Hall have been prepared as a quarantine facility. There are many empty beds, most of which we can only hope will not be occupied. Families are being assisted with hampers. Still many people who earn daily and now cannot work every day or at all, are desperate and unsure about how they will make it through this time. Our leaders need to consider all the outcomes and there must be plans to ensure that all our citizens can continue to live.
Though the wings of coronavirus can and may spread throughout our regions, we must find hope in the fact that though many have died worldwide, most are recovering.
We are experiencing one of the greatest tests and threats to the holistic health of this time. Relatives and friends have expressed how depressed they are being indoors most of time. Regardless of how beautiful the walls of one’s home, the décor or the luxuries, the shades of paint, patterns or polish on the walls become dreary after looking at them all day, every day. The electronic devices and social media are not enough for some. We cannot turn pages for the entirety of the time, fall asleep, eat and repeat. Well some of us can, but most of us cannot live like that for too long.
Some folks are using the time to tackle tasks they neglected before COVID-19. Activities like gardening are positive ventures during this time. But for many the yearning to be free again outside is overwhelming; the desire to socialize with friends – activities like karaoke, nights of dancing or simply having drinks and conversation, are the experiences we realize we may have undervalued. Many are longing for fellowship with their religious families. Religious services online are just not the same. Many people are longing to touch and hold someone. The value of saying hello to strangers now seems like a gift. There are single men and women who are lonely and desperate. It a test for couples stuck in isolation together and this period will determine whether some sink or fly. Children, who need to be home schooled by parents, some who still must work from home, are testing the strength of many families. And what about those parents who do not possess the skills or intellect to homeschool their children? What provisions are in place to help the children who will be left behind academically because of COVID-19?
The sun might be shining every day here, but many are experiencing the darkest periods of their lives. But long as the night may be, dawn eventually comes. Around the world spiritual teachers and aspirants believe that this is the catalyst for an awakening. They believe that after COVID-19, there would a new appreciation for life. Many would seek the path of finding oneness with the divine. Many will adopt healthier lifestyles. Many will realize that what makes life worthy is not necessarily our material possessions or money, but our connection with other people and the divine. Many would be more respectful to the environment. Environmentalists and others around the world have been speaking about how much we are hurting our planet with our technological advancements, our waste, rape of natural resources and the excesses of our lifestyles. Global warming and climate change are some of the results. COVID-19 is a reminder that we can be destroyed, but the earth will remain and repair itself even if man no longer exists.
Reports coming out of places like the United States have estimated that the peak of the pandemic is happening now. Many have projected that by June, life may start returning to somewhat of a norm. But I do believe that life as we knew it post-COVID-19 is forever gone. I make my assessment based on the changes many are experiencing psychologically and spiritually. Still activities like being able to walk outside without a mask, being able to see and greet our friends with a hug, standing in the lines at the supermarket and not being fearful when a person coughs, we long to return.
The end of coronavirus does not mean that we however should abandon safety practices like keeping environment clean. There is a saying that “cleanliness is next to godliness” and if coronavirus has reminded us of anything, is that cleanliness is inherent to our holistic health.
As a Guyanese people, there are many lessons we can learn from COVID-19. We need to stop fighting and hating each other especially because of issues like politics. We are reminded that our time here is transient, but we must save ourselves by working together for the best life experiences. The awakening is about harmony, peace, love and appreciation for the gifts that enrich our lives.