LOCKDOWN BEGINS

Tense phone calls. Shops shutdown. Streets emptying out. Nobody willingly or knowingly puts themselves in harm’s way... who would pose a risk to their family? But then how do you protect yourself from something that you cannot see? The sense of foreboding is unprecedented.In the four decades of my life, I personally, have never faced an emergency like situation. No famines, wars, natural calamities, riots or any other near disaster-like situations. Nothing has ever been cause for panic. But the sense of panic was palpable in the first few days of the current lockdown. The first time it was announced small shops saw their shelves emptying out of biscuits, bread and similar staples. Thankfully, in the weeks since things have normalised to some extent. Milk and vegetables are available where we live. While it not ‘normal’ by a long shot it is not an impossible or bleak situation for us. It makes me imagine - what must it be like in a war zone? What was it like for soldiers in the trenches in the 1910’s or families in Europe in the 1940’s? For Cambodians, Vietnamese, Chinese and Russians? For vast swathes of the dark continent in the past century and more? For Iraqis, Afghanis or Syrians a few years ago? While people are possibly afraid... I cannot imagine having no security... no way of knowing what tomorrow holds. We at least know that this thing will end in a few weeks. What if you had no way of even estimating the next meal or how many breaths you had left before your life was snuffed out. and you couldn’t even see it coming. Scared? 

I am grateful!