It’s a rainy Saturday morning today in San Jose, California. Night lamps are still on and the lights from them are reflected on the wet courtyard. I can see the raindrops making tiny circles and then disappearing. The valley afar is hiding behind the cloud. Unmindfully, I switched on my phone and saw the count. Total deaths, 64,625 in the world as of now from the novel coronavirus. The omnipresence of death everywhere! Behind each number, there was a life, a story, dreams, and wisdom. Now all gone. The fleeting thoughts and lasting realities of their final hour remained unknown. A big wave from the ocean of death is sweeping the world. All together we are caught in a sudden strangeness.
The fleeting thoughts and lasting realities of their final hour remained unknown. A big wave from the ocean of death is sweeping the world. All together we are caught in a sudden strangeness.#Thoughts Click To TweetSpeed and disruption
Now, at the moment, when we pressed the pause button and the whole world is standing still, I thought about two words of our era that we boast about – speed and disruption. In the San Francisco Bay area, speed and disruption are the two words that I read and hear often. Hitherto, I believed disruption is the prerogative of technology.
At the death bed, Edvard Munch
Mater Dolorosa, Pedro Roldán
Technology clad modern life has given us devices to connect with nature, family, and friends through screens. Society and its complex structure leave us with little time. Understandably, we choose screens – a convenient option to stay connected with nature and society. With the novel coronavirus outbreak, when almost the whole world is living in confinement, I have this uncanny feeling that nature has its own way to make us reflect on our ways of life. Undoubtedly, nature is the supreme power and can disrupt the lives of millions in the whole world, at a speed no technology can match.
Technology clad modern life has given us devices to connect with nature, family, and friends through screens. Society and its complex structure leave us with little time. Understandably, we choose screens. #Thoughts Click To Tweet
Undoubtedly, nature is the supreme power and can disrupt the lives of millions in the whole world, at a speed no technology can match. #Nature Click To TweetThe balance of nature is not a status quo; it is fluid, ever-shifting, in a constant state of adjustment. Man, too, is part of this balance. Sometimes, the balance is in his favor; sometimes – and all too often through his own activities- it is shifted to his disadvantage.
Rachel Carson
Adaptation – The ultimate survival strategy
We human beings are a part of nature and perhaps because of that, we are resilient just like nature. We easily adapt and that’s how we persist. Now amidst the omnipresence of death and sudden changes in our daily lives, we are adapting, the best strategy for survival from time immemorial. I was surprised to read the news about a live-streamed funeral due to restrictions on travel.
Isolation
Isolation in a confined space amidst the omnipresence of death everywhere evoked a feeling of stillness in me. A kind of stillness that’s not void and demands reflection. I felt everything around me is transcending the binaries of time and eternity, birth and death, past and present. Reflective isolation, an unaffordable luxury in our routine bound lives is available now. My suggestion to you all is to use it to its fullest.
I felt everything around me is transcending the binaries of time and eternity, birth and death, past and present. #Life #Death Click To Tweet
This is the silent spring. The planet has gone quiet, so quiet you can almost hear it whirling around the sun, feel its smallness, picture for once the loneliness and fleetingness of being alive.
Roger Cohen
My days during the lockdown!
I figured out I have no complaints. A cozy corner with books and my laptop, modest food and warmth of my family is precious and I need no more. Every evening, we go out for some fresh air for a short period. I get to spend many hours with my daughter and I treasure every second of it. I see her growing up each day bit by bit. When she sleeps, I look at her innocent face for long – a luxury in this time-bound era. I equally feel thankful for having a caring husband and feel grateful for not losing our livelihood like many in the USA during this difficult time.
We human beings are a part of nature and perhaps because of that, we are resilient just like nature. We easily adapt and that's how we persist.#Nature #Naturelover Click To Tweet
Nowadays I also interact with my readers a lot and find their support immensely helpful. I am thankful for being loved and cared for by my readers who were once complete strangers.
Travel Realizations
I didn’t wish a pandemic to occur under any stretch of the imagination to understand the enormity of unpredictability of life which I knew on a personal level. But due to this pandemic, I realized how the course of millions of lives has changed without notice in a matter of days. Amidst the omnipresence of death, in all honesty, I am ever feeling, ever seeking the meaning of existence. A quest that will never leave my mind as long as I live. Life and experiences help us grow and also tear us apart. The randomness of life is the ultimate truth!
Amidst the omnipresence of death, in all honesty, I am ever feeling, ever seeking the meaning of existence. #Wanderer Click To Tweet Life and experiences help us grow and also tear us apart. The randomness of life is the ultimate truth! #Travel #Explore #Thoughts Click To TweetLife is a miracle beyond our comprehension, and we should reverence it even where we have to struggle against it.
Rachel Carson
Marguerite Cleveland
Very deep and interesting perspective on this lockdown. It is so interesting how everyone has such differing experiences. I love the use of artwork to illustrate your post.
Sue
Beautifully written reflection on our current situation. Stopping has certainly allowed me to take stock of my world & what is important to me. Travel is a luxury & a privilege. Human connection is a gift. I have been on my own as we are starting to come out of 2 months of isolation & have a new perspective & excitement about starting to see friends again in the flesh…but with the frustration of not being able to touch them still. I think we will all have a new realisation when we come out of this & hope we don’t forget quickly the important lessons we have learned.
Sarah
Beautifully written! It’s certainly strange times we are living in at the moment.
Jay Artale
Yes we’re adaptable .. and it’s going to be interesting to see what our new travel world and opportunities are going to look like. I’m never going to take my freedom to travel for granted again.
Ann
I really like that you feel that you have no complaits, so many people are in distress during this lockdown. It really can be a blessing, atleast most of the days 🙂