Coronavirus or Love in the time of pandemia.

Courtesy of: Google Images

It has been a few of months since my last post. This can perhaps be explained by a few factors: general, not always productive, busy-ness, slumber, lack of inspiration, or resistance to blog for the sake of blogging. However, the global pandemia brings up phenomena hard to ignore. I hoped to get some insights from Gabriel García Márquez' Love in the time of cholera; unfortunately, they closed the local library before I could check it out!

What one can say about what is happening?  It seems that this pandemia is a global phenomenon: it is not personal, it is not national, it is not religious. It seems to affect both poor and rich, a truly universal equalizer! From what is being reported, it looks like a purge of people who are old and frail, and, judging from the glimpses of what is shown on TV, people who are also overweight. Though individual losses are hard to bear, there is nothing particularly cruel about this process in a broader sense; it seems to be a natural defense mechanism against overpopulation. 

Technological advances, better health care systems, healthy life styles allow more and more people live longer than in the past. Advanced, productive societies find ways to support these millions of older people and grant them decent standards of living. Yet, I think, each society, in due time, reaches a "breaking point," when younger people become unable to carry this heaviness of the old age. This is when phenomena, such as pandemia, kick in. It is all natural! 

Photo courtesy of: http://unexplainedmassanimaldeaths.com/

The classic here is the story of the herd of elks that had found a way to a remote island. As there were no natural predators on the island, elks multiplied rapidly until, one day, they were all killed by a mysterious illness. Nature found a way to control their over-population. 

I write it all impassionately, aware that by age (65), (but not by being overweight 😃), I belong to the group that seems to undergo purging. There is nothing particular to it. Death is a natural phenomenon. As one of my favorite Teachers, Shri Nisargadatta, once said: "To be born, to live, and to die - is natural. To be afraid is not!" Still, I don't intend to make purging of myself an easy task!😃

Though natural, the process also calls for love and compassion. Heartbreaking stories happen all over the world. My wife who went to Poland before the outbreak, to spend time with her 93-year old mother, all of sudden is afraid that by direct contact she may bring the virus, and, possibly, kill her own mother. She brings her food, but leaves it a few meters from her mother's door (she still lives independently). They exchange a few words from a distance. This is not the kind of contact you would like to have with your mother before she is gone.

Courtesy of: cbc.ca

And what about of those hundreds, possibly thousands, of people who cannot even enter seniors residences. They come to the windows when they can, I have heard, show pictures of children, wave, sing, or etc. Some of them know that their loved ones are already dying, and there is nothing they can do about it. Also those, who are inside, even if cared for by the most wonderful, devoted personnel, likely feel lonely at the time of their departure. This is not how death was meant to happen. 

I don't want to write about front line workers, all these wonderful physicians and nurses, who, risking their own, try to save lives. Not even about countless, often underpaid, drivers, store clerks, garbage collectors, who keep everything going while millions of us are stuck under quarantine. Their work is the best expression of Love in the times like ours. And they seem to receive their duly praise. 

Let me say a few words about coping. There are millions of us who, not by our choice, are in the situation of enduring inactivity, which in itself is quite a suffering. Boredom often kills! People try to read, watch TV (there is not much to watch), or find something else to do. My adult son pulled out his LEGO blocks that he hasn't touched for many years. They seem to consume his mind and thus giving his mind some reprieve. Boredom and inactivity are hard on our minds, Haidakhan Babaji says. They make us negative and prone to be critical of others!

One genuine method of coping was proposed by my acquaintance, Polish writer, Ryszard Lenc. He created a chat group, on Messenger, of people who grew up in the same part of Katowice, called Koszutka, in 1960s. Surprisingly, discussion in this group, though mostly dealing with things that happened over 50 years ago, is very lively. A recall of one person seems to trigger more reminiscences in others. People of our age group seem to remember fascinating details of the world that, for the most part, exists only in our memories: what we ate, what we wore, sports we played, arts we were involved with, teachers, scout instructors, and so on. 

Perhaps the most interesting part, of what this group was able to remember, were our ... first loves! It is truly fascinating! People seem to remember well their first "movements of heart," first injuries, disappointments, lost opportunities, etc. There is something refreshing in recall of all this love; love that was so innocent and pure, though it has withered a bit, as old, black-and-white photographs. It looks that this is something naturally interesting for our souls; souls who try to integrate what had happened in our lives. 

And this is one kind of Love that is really worth of reliving in the time of pandemia! This Love is a force that no pandemia was ever able to overcome!

(PR)