How to survive quarantine hacks
As of now, the world is shivering with terror. Countries once celebrated as champions of the free world and development are struggling hard to get a hold onto the situation. Economies are in shamble and health care system so overburdened that every day is a nightmare and every night full of gloom and despair. The world is dying so are its people.
Cities that never slept are now quite like a fallen log. Never in my life have I seen my city, a hustling and bustling metropolitan, so queer and quite. There was a time when I would go out late into the night to eat and to hang out with friends never to worry about a thing. There was a time when city lights were brighter than the day sun and people on their shinny vehicles honking coming and going. This all changed when we as humans failed to respond to what nature was always telling us to do. There were warnings and there were signs along the road to destruction that we ignored.
Not saying this is the wrath of nature because that would be to demonize it. Nature is as gentle as a mother but a mother also has its limits to bear. When humans went on to do the stuff that made earth sick and never regret it, nature has to take its course.
We do know that with increasing temperature and mounting pollution this is not the last time we are seeing this. When the permafrost is going to melt and new organisms buried for thousands of year under the thick blanket of ice will come out, it will be a havoc. Humanity will succumb to wounds that it inflicted itself.
But what is the way out in the present situation? As Michel de Montaigne said, “A man who fears of suffering is already suffering from what he fears”. No doubt the circumstances are extraordinary and this demands extraordinary measures but meeting these demands is a mammoth task. The first tool that is going to save millions of lives is “not panicking”, this time is crucial and we must keep our head cool and follow what is best. Whether you like it or not your governments are the only reliable source you have. Follow their instructions and abide by the law.
No one is going to deny that correct, timely and reliable information regarding the situation is crucial. In this panic, there will be too much that is false and will add fuel to fire. Your job is to keep your head straight and before falling for a NEWS confirm its source. Never let anyone divide you. If at this crucial time you would divide based on your race, caste, creed and religion, believe me, you won’t survive long. Remember, we all are in this together.
Third, in your list is the Support. We need to support each other especially those who are at the forefront of this battle. Medics and Law enforcement agencies and all those people who are helping others. They need your support and that is only moral support. In Pakistan, we salute out doctors and paramedics where ever we see them and the same goes for law enforcement agencies.
Next in line is support for those who have fallen on hard times in terms of cash and food. If you are well fed make sure your neighbour is also. As Muslims, we believe if you are sleeping belly full and your neighbour next door couldn’t sleep because of hunger, you are going to hell. I am not asking you to follow Islam but it’s a beautiful gesture that we can adopt so that no one dies of hunger. Keep people well-fed so they can pass this hard time. And believe me, my experience says you would feel much better seeing someone happy.
Last but not least keep yourself in the vicinity of your home, spend time with your loved ones and elderly. Nature has given us the much needed time to mend our relationship with our family, humanity and Earth. Make good use of this time.
My additional advice would be to learn new skills, use this time as an opportunity to polish your existing skillset or learn new. If you have not learned new skills once you come out of this quarantine period, all you needed discipline, not time.
Best of luck and keep a safe distance from each other.
