Lockdown: “People’s Patience plunged”

• By Archana Jalan
• 29-07-2021
• 181
• 1

Grass is greener always on the other side

Soothsayer’s golden wisdom.

When will the schools reopen! When will I be able to get,

back to my routine! When will I get back to office and meet,

my colleagues! When will I able to reopen my business!

I am so stressed locked up at home”‘These are some of,

the pivotal thoughts that hound us everyday.

Remember, initial lock down tasted so sweet, it was like a,

long awaited holiday with family. Today after three months,

it is almost like a sweet coated pill to be taken everyday.

The sweet covering of the pill helps us stay at home safe,

but the underlining bitterness brings a surge in hormones,

in our bloodstream, causing stress and emotional anxiety.

The effects are not only felt by adults but also by children.

We humans are programmed to find our comfort zones in,

any situations, even if it comes at the price of encroaching,

into our family member space , by trying to fix the other person’s

habits and routine. Result, conflict. Frustrated from the conflicts,

we try to find solace in front of the digital screen such as social media,

games apps , online meetings and online classes.

The question is, Was there any respite?

Yes there was, but short lived.

Reasons being: First we tend to over discuss matters now,

we tend to blow them like a balloon . Why? There is no rat race,

no urgency to reach somewhere or cringe for time.

We are at home all the time. The second most important reason,

is that during non Covid times we could speak face to face,

we spoke freely and casually. Now we chat, we discuss the,

matters on conference calls. Our messages are recorded and saved.

We need to be very articulate in what we write and what we say,

as we can be held for what we have written or said even after,

many sunsets. Why? because we have time to assimilate the,

information “‘to the Tee”‘ and discuss further.

But then let us see the other side of the greener grass again.

I met a nurse at the hospital, who has sent her two children,

to her mom in a village in Maharashtra. She and her husband,

are health workers working with Covid patients.

They are themselves staying separately , in a fear of transmitting,

virus if they fall sick. The family has been separated from each,

other for last three months. On meeting her I felt, rather than,

yearning for a greener pastures , it is vital I find some solitude,

moments in a day, to recharge my soul batteries.

It might help to mushroom up my patience that took a,

plunge in a surge of hormones.