When It's All Over...
Do you feel pressure to come out of isolation having 'achieved something'? We look at the possibility that changing our perspective could be the only change we really need.
No one saw this coming. No one was prepared. No one knew what to do.
Yet here we are – getting through it.
Twitter is flooded with tweets about how people never thought they’d experience something like this within their lifetimes and I have to admit neither did I.
Growing up in Ireland I always looked at other countries that were affected by war, extreme poverty and natural disasters and thought of how lucky I was to be Irish. At first COVID- 19 felt a million miles away but now it’s here, right on our doorstep, turning everything we know upside down.
Photo: Louis O’Sullivan
Even as we stay apart, the world is more connected now than ever before. United in a fight that the best action we can take is one of inaction. To sit and wait – while nurses, doctors, shopkeepers and so many more continue working through this pandemic. All of us are placing our trust in the experts, listening to the advice and just hoping for it to pass. As doctors fly home from all over the globe to answer Ireland’s call, I can’t help but feel useless.
My first week of being home I felt numb. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Jumping from thoughts of ‘oh my god is this actually happening?’ to ‘there has to be more we can do, some other way of flattening the curve.’ But the facts are the facts. The hardest thing for many to come to terms with is that we are doing everything we can – by doing absolutely nothing. It’s hard. At a time where human connection is needed more than ever, it is the one thing we can’t have it in its purest form. A lot of people have lost their jobs, some their homes, and most heartbreakingly people are continuing to lose their loved ones every day to this dreadful virus. Goodbyes and last words stolen from them. Lives completely changed forever. So, what do we do? We get by exactly like we’re doing. We draw, we nap, we drink, we eat, we rant, we laugh, we cry, and we imagine when it’s all over…
Photo: Louis O’Sullivan
I’ve accepted I’m not going to break the internet, completely master a new craft or write a book while I’m in isolation; the truth is some days I only get as far as changing from one pair of pyjamas into another. We need to rid ourselves of the pressure of achieving something amazing from this - coming out the other end a brand-new glowing person with seven new skills and a supreme talent for making banana bread isn’t realistic for everyone.
That being said, do take something from this. If anything at all let it realign your priorities - a detox of some sorts. View the world differently. When this is all over and we slowly return to normal life, hug those you love that little bit tighter, try that little bit harder in school, college or your job and spend those extra few minutes chatting to a friend even though you really should be getting home. Run to the pubs and savour that pint, dance until your feet hurt and stay out until the sun comes up again. Actually SEE people. Take out your headphones when you’re on a walk and HEAR people. Go a day without your phone because god knows you’ll be sick of it. Go to the gym, get outside and appreciate the health you have while you have it. Smile at a stranger. Read a book, not because it’s the only thing to do, but because you’ve learned to love it. Enjoy a lazy day without guilt. Appreciate full shelves at a store. Walk into a stadium, concert, rave or festival and let the goose bumps take over. Realise that making a living is not the same as making a ‘life’. What is something you can’t wait to do? Who is someone you can’t wait to see?
Answer those questions and then prioritise those things and those people. Cherish the freedom that was so quickly taken away from you. Think about all the moments we took for granted because we just assumed we’d have so many more. Do not forget this isolation. This time was not wasted. Think about how in years to come this will be a distant memory that you’ll tell your children, grandchildren or great grandchildren about. Make sure you will be proud of how you acted. But most importantly see life for what it really is; a fragile, precious and amazing gift that we are so lucky to have. When you read a book, you have to read every chapter, even if you don’t enjoy it. If you skip one, the book just won’t make sense. This time we’re living in right now is a particularly awful, scary and uncertain chapter, but we have to get though it to see what’s on the other side. For now, we can’t do much, but imagine when it’s all over…
Imagine how amazing it will be.
Nicky Anderson
We value original, substantive ideas – mainstream or alternative, progressive or conservative – and encourage everyone to join our discussion.
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