Pandemic! The Covid-19 virus is indeed a pandemic, threatening to cut our lives short, our economies and sadly, even denying us the very essence of what makes us human. I am not an economist, neither am I a medic, and so will leave the economics and science part of it to my learned friends. Here I want to look at how the Corona virus has taken over our lives, leaving us with fear, anxiety and mistrust. As humans, we are emotional beings, touchy, gregarious and affectionate. It is in our nature, we express our emotions through hugs, kisses and embracing. We come together in celebrations and mourning. And now, the sad reality is that this virus has encroached in our way of life, threatening us and dictating even the lengths of our affections. Totally unacceptable! I want my life back as I know it, unrestricted. I want to see my kids tearing through the door racing to hug me ever so tight like they will squeeze the breadth out of me. I want to be able to high five my ‘moghels’ as the gossip becomes juicier. I want to be able to offer that soothing hug and plant a kiss on the bruised knee to make it feel better. I want to mourn and bury my relatives.
I want to witness and celebrate unions as friends and family wed. I want to feel the love and warmth that comes with being around people, and not the nervous glances that we give each other now, as we have become so mistrusting of each other. Who would have ever thought that touching a door handle, unconsciously touching your face, pushing a shop trolley, exchanging money or even paging through a newspaper would be possible threats to health? This is indeed is a sad state of affairs, which unfortunately will continue if we do not step up and take responsibility. Each one of us in our own little corners need to do what is right to combat this monster and get our lives back. The term social distancing is so cold both in sound and meaning and should never be accepted as our normal way of life. It is therefore up to all of us to ensure we do not give Covid-19 a chance.
Let us all heed the advice given and stay safe. Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene! Sanitize constantly. Minimize unnecessary travels, eat right, self-isolate and quarantine when necessary, desist form sharing unverified information and most importantly let us remain strong for our children and empower them by educating them. We have a duty to protect not just our loved ones but fellow humans as well. So, the next time you feel the urge to travel, or feel a bit lazy to sanitize, think of that poor couple that had to postpone what would have been probably the happiest days of their lives. Think of parents who had to sit and explain to a teary face why the much anticipated birthday party has to be put on hold. Imagine the pain of those who lost their loved ones, and couldn’t even have the multitudes come in to offer comfort and pay their respects. Think of that one person who watches helplessly as their lover screams at them from across the room, and cannot embrace them in a hug so tight they will just melt and calm down. Corona has and continues to steal our joy, and only we can stop it. Laughter, crowds, hugs, a stroll in the mall, and even that irritating cousin or uncle who always causes trouble at family gatherings are all life’s little pleasures that need to be fought for. We can do it, we can act responsibly to help curb the spread of Covid-19 and get our lives back.
Tumelo Rams