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So, What Is the New Normal Anyway?

You know that time when you want to snack on something and the lockdown has you going around in circles, simply put - you did not stack up the goodies. Huge boo-boo. You are now on a quest to find a solution, any treat suffices, even the stuff you loathed earlier. You try anything that you can get your hands on to munch, and alternatives appear out of nowhere. The kitchen is your new best friend. As you lay eyes on the stack of potatoes and start cutting away, you fry them not realizing that they get soggy if not consumed soon! The double dip is the solution, but you didn’t know that. Oh brother! You now realize that diving in immediately is a must. And you munch away. Huge relief!

My go-to snack has and will always be a packet of chips, diet be dammed. I got to thinking, however, while I managed to munch on a packet of Lays (the best snack in my book), many do not even have a glass of water to drink! And as I ponder over the divide that is so glaring - the poor, the have’s, the have nots, the in-betweens (me) I wonder if I have done my bit, at all for someone who needs a hand? So I make an effort.

During this lockdown, I re-established contact with long lost friends, some frenemies as we realize that we are in this mess together. Many of my contacts are extremely fortunate and many who are not as fortunate as the ones who dish out goodies left, right, and center.

I don’t know how this disgusting evil virus came to be - conspiracy theories do the rounds. Could it be the rat, bat, or other animals that caused this pandemic or is it a man-made virus created by evildoers. We ponder over the various theories and come up with our own.  

The side effect. No work, salary cuts if any, no money, no food, bills pining up, wearing a mask in public, physical distancing, no food, the lists go on. We are fed with symptoms every day as additional symptoms are added to the list and we take notes! Hourly unverified WhatsApp messages do the rounds. Since we are in a tizzy, we believe anything, everything. We doubt the source but seeds of doubt creep in - perhaps there is some truth to the tale.

This damn pandemic has taken over our lives, plain and simple.

The routines of the past simply do not pan out at this point. We are told to change toward a new normal. But, what is this new normal anyway? I am so for wearing masks given that anyone can contract the virus because corona/covid-19 has no favorites. Unfortunately, many people who wear masks in public do not cover their mouths and noses! They wear it like a chin brace, or a necklace or whatever. Haven’t we been educated about the seriousness of this virus? Don’t these people get that their lackadaisical attitude can be the death of someone who innocently went out to buy groceries or medicine for the family? Being at home all the time is not everyone’s cuppa, I get that, but when you think of others rather than yourself, you will help in flattening the curve.

The fact is simple - life is not the same, this is a scary new normal.

Whether we like it or not, we have to deal with the problem. And while that is a pain, we need to kick covid’s butt, once and for all. And if that means that we change our lives for a better tomorrow, let us join the fight in doing so. While we are at it, let us also spare a moment for people who haven’t been able to get to their homes. The hundreds of thousands who have contracted the virus. Thousands have passed on without being able to meet their loved ones. Many who are in harm's way daily. Doctors, health care workers, cops, grocery guys, delivery agents, vendors, and many others who brave the storm to take care of us, every single. And to add to the problem, domestic violence is growing.

But let us give praise where it is due. Liquor shops have opened. Yay! We can swig on beer, a glass of wine, a shot of whiskey or two. Kinda like the old normal, with a twist of lime or pineapple. Guess life has quite literally given us lemons, and with the calcium content of the zesty citrus, we can have our pina colada and swig it too. I am kinda miffed about the ciggies and the paan shops opening though, this is gonna get us in a tailspin, with the puffing, spitting, and ... and.. Let us hope that peeing in public, is not a part of the new normal too! Let that be a part of the old never normal.

 

 


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Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

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Unknown said…
Awesome 👍 every person should realize why we r living n what for ..? Praise the heavenly beloved father JESUS in the name I pray 🙏 Amen
May 15, 2020 at 8:22 PM
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