‘London Statue STOP’ – the denner would yell and all of us would stop, statue-like in whatever positions we were.
Those who moved would be out of the game, some would nudge and poke, some would hastily change positions, while many would simply enjoy the pause. But that pause was for a game and this pause amid Coronavirus is for…life itself. Distressing, funny, confusing, unprecedented…
India has locked down completely, USA is in turmoil with more than 3.8 million unemployed people, Spain and Italy are under great pressure, countries are taking desperate measures.
For the first time in history, no one is in control of the situation. And humans don’t like not being in control. Who is the denner? When will he say – Go?
This sudden pause…a break in our fast paced lifestyles is toppling, wrecking, shaking and affecting many lives. Many people have readily halted while many are still coming to a screeching halt. Each one of us has been affected in some way or the other.
Suddenly, everything we ever knew has paused. And there are grim realities and uncertainties to deal with – life, family, jobs, education, salary, food…! And moreover, there is no end in sight to this ordeal.
Yes, for the first time we realize no one has control over this situation. Presidents, Prime Ministers, Leaders, Millionaires… no one.
And no one knows how this crisis will come to an end – may be a cure, or unknown cause or certain steps would work. But one thing is for sure – we will prevail. Until then, we have to pause and wait.
And in this pause, there are great questions and realizations –
Where did we go wrong?
We need so little to survive, so why the greed?
What were we running after?
Has anything ever been in our hands?
What’s the use of power, wealth and luxuries when an invisible, dead virus can threaten it?
What is the most important thing for us, right now?
Who are the people in our support system? Are we taking care of them?
If we are to die tomorrow, what would matter most?
What selfless deeds have we done?
Where does our hope lie?
How important are we to others?
The answers to this questions are humbling and point out to all those things that are truly dear to our hearts. Just that much is really required for life.
Rest of the things are just extras but the people, ideals and things that matter to us in times like this form our core.
And in this pause there is great understanding. Just like the silence after AUM is as powerful as the mantra itself, similarly, this pause is profound. Who knows the human race might change for better after experiencing this crisis!
So let’s be there for others, practice gratitude and be loving, sensitive and kind… for we never know what others are going through.
One day, the denner up there will say – Go. And life will start running and go back to normal. We will return to our ordinary existence but the way we endured and handled the crisis during this extraordinary time will stay with us forever.
Heroes are not always those who fight and win but those spirited people who brave the crisis with courage, determination, cheerfulness and dignity.
This pause is an opportunity to realize and be our best self. We owe this to us and to all other living beings. Let’s make the best use of this PAUSE.
(Image courtesy Google)
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Finally, here is my fourth book (Print as well as Free eBook Version) – ‘Happy’s Hairy Tale – The Corona Cut’. The book will be available free for a limited time only from Oct 8 – Oct 11 on Amazon.com – (
Stories by Shivangi 