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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