Covid-19: Not all Doom and Gloom

The current global climate has been taking a toll on everyone: from moms to kids, from teachers to students, from employees to employers, from the homeless to the elite. Nobody has been spared this minuscule organism's wrath.

But just like all things that encompass tragedy and adversity, there is always a silver lining. This post will unveil the wonderful things that have come my way, even as I sit here missing my work, drowning in anxiety over the fate of my O Level students in the wake of the cancellation of exams, craving a BBQ roll, and yearning for family that can't be in close proximity.

1. Who knew I could be tech savvy enough to conduct online classes! As education has gradually been evolving over the past few years with additions to the arena such a Google Classroom, online video conferencing platforms, and formative assessment tools, I have been hiding behind my trusty books, and good old fashioned paper. The most I'd ever dipped my toes into the murky waters of tech, was when I'd use my projector, and on a really good day - attach my visualiser and call it a day. But now look at me - maneuvering through Zoom and Google Meet like a pro (or so I should like to think). Now I'm hooked and have decided that this is something I am going to keep doing - pandemic or not.

2. Talking about online conferencing - if you've been with me for a while, you'll know I have 7 siblings and most of them are married with kids. We haven't been together under one roof for many, many years due to living in multiple parts of the world an an incompatibility in work schedules. But yesterday, we ALL came together online. Now granted, it was not a real roof, but a roof nonetheless, albeit a virtual one. Eight screens - eight siblings - all chattering away about nothing and everything - a cacophony of love and joy and hope that was a symphony to my ears. Soon four more devices made their way onto my screen because the older children had commandeered their parents' mobiles and iPads. So all siblings, all sibling spouses and their kids. It was unprecedented. On the down side, I felt so sad that my own kids weren't there to share this moment of utter love. Poor things have been denied this too... and to be truthful, I haven't been able to shake the feeling still. I think my youngest sister felt it... she feels a lot of what I feel. But back to the meeting... if nothing else, this virus, in all its omnipotent power in keeping everyone apart, had ironically brought us together.

3. The lock-down situation has brought public transport to a standstill. Which means the maid can't come. Which means a lot of dust. But there isn't. I couldn't fathom it at first. The settling of dust on surfaces in Karachi is a given. But then it hit me - no people outside, no transport, no smog, no dust. Not only that, people began sharing pictures of a more cleaner, brighter Karachi landscape. So maintaining the dust situation turned out not be a situation at all.

4. And of course, there's the boredom. Boredom can be a real pain, especially if you're not used to it. But this boredom, this lack of activity, this time of self-isolation, the knowing that everyone is it in together, has allowed me to reflect on a lot of things... this boredom doesn't pain me. It has given me the opportunity to do a lot of things that needed doing, and I have envisioned a lot of things that can still be done. Forged in the fires of boredom, I have completed a couple of schemes of work, am working on new ones and have read a couple of books that needed to be read. It's nice to do things without deadlines looming over your head like a dark cloud - not that I'd ever exceed any deadline - oh no!

5. Society has stepped up. The labour class of our country rely on daily wages to light their stoves. In the absence of work, these people have been the most hard hit. But so many people are doing what they can in their own way, helping out the destitute by distributing food. A divided class system, still divided, but brought together in a time of uncertainty and unrest.

We take so many things for granted: a simple handshake, a coffee with friends, fast food, being able to come and go without giving it a second thought. Humanity has been humbled. In the race to get ahead of each other, it is almost as if the virus has forced us to slow down - grind to a stop even and has redirected us to reassess our priorities. We have been brought face to face with matters of mortality and morality. I cannot deny the devastation, death and destruction that this pandemic has brought upon us, nor am I oblivious of the trials and tribulations yet to come, but hope is the one thing I refuse to let go off. Hope can be found in the tiny cracks of light in the current darkness - the cracks that you have to seek out yourself and you'll be surprised - it's not quite all doom and gloom.