Covid19

To acknowledge the calamities introduced to our species by SARS-CoV-2 is to acknowledge extortionate death tolls, collapsing economies and expedited mental health crises; though I think the greatest misfortune would be to exit a situation like this and return to business as usual. In the same way we commonly remark on living in a post 9/11 world, we will soon be living in a post Coronavirus world. Following no significant tragedy, is a world left unmolested and unreformed. In the same vein where matters of international security will be approached by some with unease post 9/11, COVID19 will inevitably leave an impression on our behaviours, actions and reactions as a species.

As with most things macabre and uncertain, I genuinely do believe there is value in unravelling the silver linings of adverse situations. Such times of drastic reorganisation are picturesque for realising both the possibility for lasting change and the fluidity or malleability of societal structures. A dear friend of mine once queried me on the roots of optimism and it is quite difficult to explain outside of situations similar to current where I am able to publicise and commentate on the notion that beneath the temporary veil of separateness, waiting to be punctured by tragedy, that there is a great deal of oneness and a surplus of both altruism and community.

The idea that the unexplained and irrepressible will instil fear in an individual should bewilder none, though the practice of more pragmatic versions of fear may. At times it is exhausting to watch idle as common people invest in mass quantities of toilet paper, presumably to construct a throne to sit upon whilst isolated in a bubble of consumerism insulating them from their own mortality, rather than gravitating towards a wiser manifestation of fear ie. hand washing. I'm swift to chastise this neurotic behaviour, though I must acknowledge that there is something quite instinctual at play. It is fairly universal to have one’s imperatives aligned with the sustenance and preservation of their own systems; because of this I try and view the behaviours of large political and societal systems in a less conspiratorial way. Acknowledging seemingly rigid doctrines as not immune to abolition is an essential step in incorporating plasticity into both structures and our individual experiences.

I'm very fortunate to have lived in a variety of economic scenarios and have thus been predisposed to significant change. This, in conjunction with the haphazardness of my Bipolar Disorder, has likened me to the undulating nature of the human experience, a ping-pong-esque sequence of peaks and troughs sculpting our collective wisdom, knowledge and resilience. There is something quite painful about change, in a sense change is a process of letting parts of your systems die in order to disencumber and create space for revised axioms and ideas; the autistic qualities I present often remind me of how uncomfortable change is and thus I am aware of what it is like the fear reform.

A metaphor I've frequented recently is that the ongoing pandemic is a sort of dress rehearsal for Armageddon. Without the intention of fear mongering, undoubtedly humanity will inevitably face even greater adversity, be it in the form of a virus with a higher mortality rate, or a string of unexpected natural disasters. To say that is not to acknowledge any kind of impending doom, but to acknowledge the adaptability and pliancy of our species. Consider how many seemingly unfeasible things have occurred recently: The US government injecting billions to sustain its economy, Australia closing interstate borders, thousands of services and retailers – quashed seemingly overnight. Although these times of fluctuation were birthed out of necessity, I'm sure I am not alone in witnessing the suggested possibility and probability for change.

Perhaps now, more than ever, is a time for taking notice. As Coronavirus has shaken the whole world awake, perhaps it is time to channel that alertness into reflecting on what is important. The 'statistization' of things like death tolls does more decreasing humanity than it does for reflecting severity. Rather than gaze at rising death tolls and reported cases like some sort of apocalyptic scoreboard, address that behind every statistic, is another human with a life just as complex and beautiful as your own. I must also add that the beauty nuanced in a hardship like disease, is that no net worth will shield an individual from its clutches. So perhaps we should reevaluate what we consider important and once again acknowledge the oneness, surely during isolation you have noticed a great deal of inter-connectivity – surely you have noticed that in the same way we are able to transmit microscopic organisms, we can also transmit kindness.

Whilst we trade the illusion of freedom for the illusion of security, use the time you've been given to acknowledge the oneness, acknowledge the possibility for change, and acknowledge the nuance. In the same way that the beat of a butterfly’s wings has permanent effects, this crisis, more akin to the beat of a dragon’s wings, will leave our world different than it was before; I am excited to see how.