The statement ‘We are not in control’ has been used in movies and plays countless times before, but it was not until the beginning of this year that I believed it is indeed true. 2020 started just like any other year. I had my academic and family-related plans in place. I did not think of a single uncertainty that could frustrate my plans. As human beings, we are made to plan our lives without any sight of doubt lying ahead of us. However, some things happen, and they change the course of humanity. Even the disaster preparedness authorities are left to wonder just like the rest. This is what has occurred with the Corona Virus pandemic that has changed the course of our lives. We have been awakened by a different societal problem, one that we can only hope we will get through.
Corona Virus has forced us to a stay-at-home order that leads to closure of businesses, schools, and any unnecessary movement. Besides, we have increased the level of handwashing and keeping social distance as per the recommendation of our health professionals. Stay at hope had given me enough time to depend on my family together in one roof. I have been able to connect with my dad and my siblings in a way that I had not before. I have had in-depth conversations with my dad, and it has allowed me to unburden some of the weigh I have carried for many years. I feel connected to him more thanks to staying at home order.
I had a plan was to travel to Hawaii during the Spring Break. It is a trip I had planned for years, and 2020 felt like the right time. I had already secured my hotel bookings and was very excited. I have always wanted to go to Hawaii; it was a dream trip. However, all the plans were frustrated by the Corona Virus outbreak. Although I have a chance of taking the trip sometimes in the future after the passing of this virus, this has been frustrating times.
The pandemic has given me time for self-reflection. The last few days have seen an increase in the talks about intimacy, hygiene, and compassion in a significant way. I no longer view these values in abstract but in a context necessary for survival. The fast spread of the virus has taught me a precious lesson on stigmatization, scapegoating, and blaming. Corona Virus was first associated with China, but its rapid spread has taught me never to think that it cannot happen to you. Nobody is immune any longer. It leaves no spaces for stigmatization of any particular group or country.
Moreover, the pandemic has exposed my deepest fears, the fear of losing my loved ones. My mum is a Registered Nurse, and she has been in the front line in the fight against COVID-19. Staying at home has resulted in me watching a lot of TV and news, which has intensified my worries. Watching the reports of death rise in the United States for ordinary citizens and those of health workers gives me sleepless nights. Although I talk to my mum daily and she always assures me she will be okay, it is not enough knowing the virus is still with us. Through these strange times, I have learned that nobody is in control. Our ordinary lives have been interrupted; our plans do not matter anymore. It has come down to our health and that of our loved ones. We are genuinely not in control. I don’t know how long the virus will be with us, but despite everything, it has given me a valuable lesson that will not forget.