Life in the time of covid19.

In 2012 I wrote about Sandy... So let me count all the disasters that I have lived to see

2004 - Tsunami - South Asia

2012 - Sandy - New Jersey

2020 - Covid19 - Texas

So I want to write about covid19 for the future folks to read. But let me first give a little background.

We live in an 8 member household that only produces 2 bags of garbage a week. (One is still in diapers and we compost and recycle everything - none of that matters).

It has been almost a year since we moved from a 6 member household to 8. Our home has been a STEM education hub for the community for robotics learning for the past four years and now finally we have our home just to ourselves. We have seniors, tweens, toddlers, and plants - a LOT of plants. Did I mention we recycle, compost and garden which is why we have only two bags of garbage per week? 

Just like Sandy, before COVID hit the world, we were following news and sort of mentally preparing for a lockdown. I didn't buy any groceries or stock up on anything because we bulk buy anyway and have enough for a few months. But I wish had, because after the announcement the stores had nothing left. I was worried about milk for the children and other basic needs. I felt that in this case, being pessimistic was the safest route. Since my parents were in the high-risk category we took measures to be safe. We went out to eat one last time. and then... everything shut down overnight.

We were trying to digest what was happening around us. We started to play out worse case scenarios in our minds. Staying home was not a problem for us. we all like being home... we will be ok as we enjoy our wifi and our entertainment and just like being comfy at home.

Weeks passed by and then Months passed by. Months will slowly turn into years. People, we get used to wearing masks. Economies will crash. History will be recorded. We beat the Spanish flu with primitive technology, we can beat this, can't we? Has our leadership completely failed us or can we rise above and beyond and learn from the mistakes of others? 

Bru is utterly sad that our travel plans had to be canceled. We both love traveling to new places. We don't drink or club or anything so what brings the most joy to us in our outdoor entertainment is traveling and eating out. Yup sure miss that but I know better than to complain. Jobs have been lost... people are being evicted over unpaid rent and utilities and schools are still providing food because many parents can't afford it.

So what about the bright side?

We dusted the board games, bought a carrom board, grew life and food in the garden and got to know each other in times of trials. We fought and loved and lived through it hoping to come out stronger from the other end. The children will learn to learn online and parents will learn to shut down electronics to have some family time. Self-reflection, new hobbies - the birth of an era. A greener earth to walk on and cleaner air to breath... fewer vehicles and less time wasted traveling or waiting. Productivity and efficiency... creativity in the job market... Making homes prettier because that's where we will be mostly. Enjoying the company and conversations of neighbors and families across oceans -a new normal, an independent way of life - no show, no bells whistles, no icing on the cake... after all it is more important for the cake taste good rather than to look good... goodbye to all the shallowness and hello to the life, people and relationships that actually matter. In the two years that I've lived here, I never put my picnic mat out and lay down looking at the sky or pondered about the birds that flew over the back yard... Never did I admire the gracefulness in the flight of a dragonfly or help a little toad out of the pool. Never had I ever done so many laps being thankful for the blessings and beauty in life. Life is full of so much richness that I could have easily missed....and covid in many ways has been both a gift and a curse at the same time...

When this is, over and it will end like everything else ends... we have a lot to be grateful for. We are blessed in more ways that we can ever count

#gogreen

#reduce #reuse #recycle