Monday, April 13, 2020

COVID co-care


No, we are not all in the same boat. But in this world where nothing and no one is independent and isolated, our boats are affected by the troubles, and joys, of others. As we face a common foe, each one of us is in a predicament all our own, yet we each have capacity to help make things better.
Without her job, Jane in New York does not know if she can buy milk for her children next week, while Shahana in Texas is fighting boredom by checking memes and munching muffins. Akbar in Hyderabad has no way to go to city to buy stuff, let alone earn a living from his autorickshaw, and Vicky in Palm Beach stands on exhausted legs bagging groceries for others before she can pick her own drastically budgeted groceries. Big Tomato Farm is burying onions and tomatoes by the tons and is eligible for the government handout, and John stands in line for hours to get a warm meal for the day. Helen, 43, is struggling to breathe in England while Lin, also 43, recovers slowly in Singapore. David in Orlando must stay home because of his COPD and heart disease, while Peter from next door must get to work at the hospital even after a night up with a colicky baby.  A leader in Europe puts the comfort and safety of her people first, another on another continent postures moronically, and another elsewhere distracts with mindless clapping.
The enemy is hitting us all and we don’t have the tools to fight back. What we do have is the ability to support each other with our most important strength – being there for each other. Don’t play the blame game. Don’t let ‘news’ dictate your feelings and negate your better principles. Stay home to support our front lines, reach out to neighbors in need, spend a little more to help others. Be unselfish, be strong. Now, more than ever, it is essential that we don’t lose our basic humanity. Whatever our differences –economic, intellectual, or social status – let us lend a hand wherever we can, even if must stretch a little.  (I will not even qualify religion as a category of difference – that is not a human situation. It is the same as categorizing people by the colours they like!!)
 We don’t have to be in the same boat to be there for each other. But in this roiling sea where balance is key, our boats will collapse too if we cannot keep others afloat.

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Why I Write

This blog is an attempt to bring out a new twist on accepted notions of society. It is an attempt to get the reader to take off the tinted glasses and look at the world with fresh eyes. If you agree with the ideas of this blog, and think anew, I would consider myself successful. If you do not agree with the thoughts on this blog and cement your own notions, it still made you think, and my work is done.
Look at the world with a refractive lens. The truth will stand out.


If you like my blog, you might want to check out my book for children-

Enchanting Fables (PublishAmerica)