Some World Apart 🌿

It’s a glorious day – pleasing, pleasant and extraordinarily picturesque – clear blue skies, cool summer sun flooding the neighbourhood, its subtle rim of gold soaking all in a glittery hue. The wild magnolias in full bloom, birds chorusing, squirrels wild and free. I take a moment to breathe in all that surrounds me, sigh and question my senses. Am I mistaken or there is actually an atmosphere of rejoice around me?
Inside me is a different story. The entire United Kingdom is in a state of literal clampdown . Only a week ago we were out and about. An aura of invincibility surrounding us. Guilty as charged, I recall how I spent the previous weekend, galivanting the city centre. The malls were busy, cafes bustling with life and laughter. All was well. There were talks about Herd Immunity and how the NHS is well prepared, adequately equipped and satisfactorily staffed, come what may – And indeed this cushion seemed comfortable enough to wrap around that fleeting anticipatory anxiety, if any.
I had loads to think about, I had poster presentations booked, a member ceremony to attend and a higher training interview to prepare. There was no time to think about Corona Virus. Life’s on as usual and surely it can’t be that bad. We just entered 2020 – It’s the 21st century. not godforsaken 1400s where plagues and black deaths were rampant. The documentary Pandemic not even loosely comparable to times as outstanding as today, Besides, NHS is supposed to be the world’s best healthcare system. The art of self-solace is a commendable trait, repression of a sort, may be not in factual sense, does help deal with difficult thoughts, circumstances and emotions and maybe it was just that I wanted to dwell on, at least for now.
It also helped that the depressive discussion of Corona felt quite distant geographically and was best avoided as it was nowhere close to home. Self-inflicted ignorance is sometimes a bliss – or so I thought. I recalled SARS and MERS and Ebola, and the hazy memory confirmed how they had been successfully curbed.
I realised how comforting this sudden solidification of confidence in todays’ human’s competency and capability was.
There is a degree of invincibility that humans take pride in. Most of the times it isn’t even intentional. Perhaps it’s a queer amalgam of deep-rooted fear, innate insecurity and a subconscious realisation of emerging calamity consequently refuted by humanistic feelings of self-confidence, resilience and a hint of denial.
Anyway, as we stood still, wastefully wondering and washing hands, things escalated rather rapidly. Let’s just say there was little opportunity to pause and ponder, as within what appeared to be a flash, the entire country was now in Official Lock Down.
Schools and businesses shut nationwide, flights floored, events cancelled. Definition of a responsible adult revised, terms like social distancing and self-isolation upgraded in vocabulary and chief medical officer becoming a household name. An absolute ban on non-essential travel, leisure and entertainment, challenging the very core of human autonomy. The same human who had been globetrotting, taking world as his oyster has now been restricted to his couch, frail and frustrated – swapping between various dull looking devices in name of entertainment and survival.
Being part of the NHS staff (more brain than chest – we’d explore further) , there’s little change to my roster or my routine. The commitments, the commute, the long days gradually stretching longer and lunch breaks shrinking away. Mood slightly morose but motivated nonetheless.
Work is still open- as – usual, busier- than- normal and bringing panic along to the corporation is not encouraged.
Storm brewing inside us, we hold our heads high, swallowing away the ever increasing – now almost constant nausea, clutching to this straw called hand sanitiser, and commence our shifts: another day, in a violent, vicious battle against this unexpected, unfamiliar force.
It’s astonishing how juxtaposed the two realities are, the world (as we knew it) of humans around and (inclusive of) me has come to a sudden halt. I expected the nature to rightly depict this. I envisioned sombre clouds and sullen skies. A part of me prophesied a true reflection of despair and despondency, as clearly human’s distress is bound to affect the wider world. Its baffling is how in turn the days have taken to be bright and glorious. The nature has come out to play and be merry. The sparrows dancing with swallows and the squirrels, the Laurels caressing the Ladybugs, the Ox Eyed Daisies and Forget Me Nots co existing in cohesion.
This is a sight of dreams, a sight so surreal, and most certainly never this palpably notable.
I cannot but wonder how, as human walked indoors, shutting gates behind him, did rest of the universe rejoiced in unison
For may be we stand answerable to nature, for the centuries of choices we made, at the expense of this earth and its inhabitants bar humans!?