The gifts of the pandemic.

We never imagined that we would live through these strange times, did we? Not us. Not in our modern technologically advanced world. Older generations lived through wars, rationing and blackouts while, today still, in many countries, famine, strife and chaos abound. But for us North Americans? We mostly have it easy. We took it for granted and perhaps rightly so. Civilization moves forward and carries us along. This pandemic has given us a massive slap in the face that was overdue. It’s time to understand that we are not the top dog we believe ourselves to be. Our ego has been checkmated. The death toll on the news every day reminds us of the fragility of our lives and the precariousness of our comfort.

Many aspects of our lives have improved because of the pandemic; Listening and abiding by the sanitary rules set forth by our scientific experts has probably allowed us to avoid the worst. Wearing a mask has become normal. Not being able to buy whatever whenever, for the most part, has become a daily annoyance at worst. We are more aware of the well-being of the general population. Our furious hand-washing has almost eradicated seasonal colds. Waiting in line has taught us patience. The curfew and its resulting silence reminded us of the beauty of silence. We see on the daily news many instances where the air quality has improved. Solidarity has exploded in the face of all these challenges. We are, more than ever, questioning our buying habits and reevaluating the ties that bind us to our communities. Our dwellings, merely a place to sleep for many, have turned into a refuge. Loneliness, previously feared by most, has been tamed by many. To know the beast is to conquer it. We learned so much during these hard times but will we remember? A lot of questions need answers still. A lot of hard decisions remain. Hopefully, we make the right ones.

How do we care for our health? Countries with universal health care protect their citizens’ health by making sure that everyone, regardless of economic status, has access to quality care but those infrastructures are bursting with huge overloads that they were never prepared for. How do we supply our hospitals with the tools they need? What about our health workers? How do we care for them as they do for us? How do we protect the defenseless members of our population? How do we help small businesses survive the long-term effects and regain their foothold? How do we ensure that everyone has a decent standard of living regardless of their contribution to society?

Every human being deserves a place to call their own and the possibility to engage with others on safe terms. Wealth must be fairly distributed to make sure everyone has the opportunity to thrive and, in return, give back. Those who wish to amass great fortunes can do so but not at the savage expense of others. We need a collective conscience barometer. We, as a group, have improved. But have we improved enough? While some were sharing what they had, others were eyeing the black market intending to pray on their fellow humans. Some rose above the call of civility and others willingly fell into a bottomless pit of shame. Pandemic deniers, covidiots and conspiracy aficionados kept busy sharing misinformation and creating mayhem. We all have witnessed the mass hysteria.

Political leaders must be held accountable for their actions. No one of them should be given a blank pass. No country should be allowed to act as if they are alone on the planet. Earth is shared. Boundaries and frontiers are loose. People come and go. Going forward, we must take steps to prevent other, possibly much worse pandemics. We need, more than ever, a public discussion on how we want our respective societies to adapt and live. At the international level, we must have a consensus on how we should proceed post-pandemic. We cannot go back. Nothing will ever be the same. We have more lessons to learn and solutions to apply. Many of our habits need to be shifted toward the well-being of our communities and the planet. A greater degree of compassion and empathy for those who cannot speak is urgently needed. Yes, that includes plants and animals. We abused our land and the creatures who share it with us for far too long. It has to stop. We must rise above the circumstances and improve as individuals, societies and as a species.