Temporary

“The new, albeit temporary, normal,” I wrote.

I am hopeful. I believe this is temporary. There will be a permanent “new normal” where we will find ourselves on the other side of Covid-19. It’s not what we have now, but it might have some aspects of this new-but-temporary normal, integrated to the old normal. Part of our present daily life will be relevant and useful in the future.

The [Christian] Bible says that there is time for everything. I believe that.

 

FREEDOM

Some people ask about freedom. I don’t think freedom has been taken away. We are free; there are only some restrictions. These restrictions are for the greater good. Of course, I write for and about my world. And, if we want to look at specifics and say we are not free to move, shop, and do business as usual, in general, it hasn’t been forever or always that we have no freedom. It isn’t that we are not free, period; we are not free to…《fill in the blanks》.

People are working. People are exercising. People are eating. People are entertaining themselves. At home.

People are connecting with their people, albeit virtually for their extended circle. For their immediate family, friends included, if their friends are family, they are with them during this lockdown (or quarantine for others). You and I, we are people.

In South Africa, and probably in all other countries in lockdown, despite this lockdown, we can go out and buy food and medicine. We can go out to get essential goods. Essential services did not come to a halt. My colleagues who can’t work from home have permits to go to the office.

 

ECONOMY

What is happening is a change within the economy. The economy is suffering, no doubt about that. However, there are some industries that are thriving during these tough times. We don’t even have to read this article, this article and others.

Some industries will adapt. Technology will play a crucial part in the new normal, as it does now. Watch YouTube. Working from home, I rely on technology and connectivity.

There are losers, we know. The travel and hospitality industries are suffering tremendously. But, they have been thriving in the last few (several?) decades. I would suppose the same for Hollywood. Yes? No?

There is a change of hands.

Thankfully, we will find new ways to thrive. We will make some adjustments and we will persist.

 

LIFE AND CHOICES

FOR NOW

My household chooses not to go out at all. We are on our 9th day of lockdown in South Africa and the only one time we left our home—that is outside of the property, beyond the yard—is to go to the estate’s main gate to collect the delivery of our online grocery order. Our residential complex does not allow non-residents to enter our gated community at this stage.

This, the current situation, is temporary. It will pass. Only if and when we allow our governments to be authoritarian in a permanent basis would it be so.

 

ECONOMY AND FREEDOM VS LIFE

This is my view. It is based on my own life, on my household. I acknowledge that this is not the same for everyone. I maintain—it is my opinion alone—it is difficult to think about economy and freedom at the expense of life. This is for me.

There are differing opinions. An example of a contradictory stance was that of the USA. It was obvious from the government’s initial response that money (economy), and politics even, came before health or life. I think that has changed now… a bit.

 

FEAR

Fear of? Uncertainty? Unknown?

We don’t know how far our governments and their armies will go. But, we are the people for whom the governments exist. What will we allow? If “what is” is not for the good and benefit of the people, would we, the people, allow it? If the people, however, want freedom that is to their detriment, what should we and our governments do?

We don’t know how long this coronavirus will last. We don’t know a lot about this coronavirus. We turn to the WHO and our Health Departments. We wait.

Personally, my only fear is contracting the virus. I’m almost fifty and I have high blood pressure. Also, as a kid, I had weak lungs.

 

WHAT IS THIS REALLY ABOUT?

Outside of the life-and-death issue, or even just implications on health and health facilities, what is this really about. What are some of us struggling with? What are we resisting and fighting? What do we find almost impossible to accept? Where we are now isn’t the ideal situation. What we have now is not what dreams are made of.

But, I understand it: this new or present life of limitations. I was raised in the 70s and grew up in the 80s. I graduated from university in the early 90s. For 25 years, I worked my way up to where I am. I grew up as one of the children who were used to discipline, rules, delayed gratification, and the like. It is not that difficult for me to adhere to the current restrictions.

Granted, it is for me, and for me alone. I would guess there are a few of the likes of me left. I can only imagine, and I feel bad for, those who have lived their lives in a different world.

But, again–

We are humans; we can adapt. We grow. We evolve. We thrive, ultimately.

Unless this is like the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs; then, the economy, fear and freedom won’t be relevant either.