By Philip Suzara
Pondering… as I sit here at the edge of my mythical life pond.
One can see many things happening at the edge of life’s pond, as in any pond. Decisions are made there, life changing decisions, defining moments… to get in the pond, or not. The pond is encircled by its edges in different forms and kinds: straight, jagged, rough, rocks, pebbles, sand, soil, or mud. Very much like people. No matter the differences we have, we all belong there… around the life pond, inside, outside, at the edge, but there.
This is not okay. We’re going on another lockdown and, again, we will just have to grin and bear it. It has gone bad, this Covid Pandemic, we now have this new, and more vicious, Delta variant even as the Covid-19 strain is not yet done wreaking havoc to all and sundry. To say that many lives were changed drastically is definitely an understatement.
Whether many others believe it or not, countless people have died, those who have survived it were set back financially - heavily. Many businesses had to close down to cut their losses, many lost their livelihood and source of income. There are others who, no pun intended, made a killing, sourcing and trading items necessary in combating the dreaded disease – from kakistocrats, kleptokrats, and now, crony capitalists.
The Community Pantries suddenly sprouted and flourished, not because it was fashionable, it was filling a gap for citizens between their reality and survival – unforeseen by government and its Covid managers.
The military and other authorities leading it have different DNAs, they’re not attuned to making health plans and protocols – their DNA has peacekeeping, law and order, and border protection from foreign incursions (a dismal failure on this one-but blame it on their C-in-C, my gahd – effing coward!).
The pandemic is not only a discipline concern (we’ve seen a lot of infractions on this one from authorities, such role models – for double standards!), it is also a health issue – both physical and mental, it is also very much an economic concern. I’m not saying that the military should not get involved; I just think the military should not be the lead agency for this Covid management.
A “New Normal” is evolving and, while calamities, which include pandemics, are great equalizers in a society, the New Normal has to be inclusive leaving no one behind. The solutions cannot be selective, those in government have not missed a single payslip – they will survive this, for sure. And the rest of the taxpayers propping up government, we don’t really know but we are hoping that we make it out of this too - alive!
This situation is bad, it is not okay; the circumstances are undesirable, to say the least. However, it is not a rut that we cannot get out of if we get our act together, if government gets their act together and exercises full transparency, we all deserve it – a government with real concern for the people (seems like an impossible expectation now).
Our lives may be feeling a little hard lately, yet, in spite of our state of affairs not being okay, we always say it’s okay, not in an accepting nor a resigned manner; but one that is of defiance. We cannot, and we should not, allow our spirits to be dampened by the inequities of our circumstances stemming from government’s poor response, ineptness and inadequacy in addressing the pandemic at its very onset.
Instead, we say it’s okay; these words have a special ring to it, so reassuring – it’s like a soothing balm, so calming.
“You can’t wait till life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy!”.
“It’s Okay” reverberates in my mind from the moment I heard Nightbirde’s audition in AGT earning her the Golden Buzzer several weeks ago. Nightbirde is cancer stricken and was going through a rough emotional roller coaster in her life when she wrote it. It’s Okay had gone viral after her AGT stint. The song was as moving as it was so full of the authenticity of her indomitable spirit.
I guess many of us relate with Nightbirde, identify ourselves with her in the face of our own different and many struggles – it’s not okay, but it’s okay.
“It's okay, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay
If you're lost, we're all a little lost and it's alright
It's okay, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay
If you're lost, we're all a little lost and it's alright
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright”
Pondering… as I sit here at the edge of life’s pond.
n.b.
Thank you, Nightbirde, for the inspiration.
Philip Suzara
Creature of God. Child of the Universe. Global Citizen. Lover of Life. Freedom Fighter. Agent of Change. Lone Wolf. Occasional Consultant for Strategic Communications.
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