It feels as if the world has gone mad, don't you think ?
Hello Everyone, I hope you're all well and managing to navigate your way through the current situation and all the madness which seems to have become a part of every day. It's hard to believe how quickly and how devastating the effects of the Coronavirus have happened, don't you agree ? Only a few months ago, who would have believed whole countries would be locked ? Millions of people across the globe are rapidly becoming hermits, only daring to venture out to gather supplies - it's like we are all living in some kind of disaster movie. Job security is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, as businesses close their doors, any kind of gathering is either discouraged or banned completely. Travelling anywhere is now virtually impossible, fleets of aircraft stand idle across the globe and barely a day goes by, when someone isn't having to make the sad announcement, their wedding, christening, holiday etc has been cancelled.
As can happen, when things get difficult, people start to show their true colours, fortunately, there are many stories of shoppers sharing limited goods with others, communities pulling together to help their most vulnerable residents and others selflessly giving up some of the contents of their shopping trolley, to those who missed out. Sadly, there are also those who seem to feel they are entitled to take everything, to strip shelves of essentials and to show scant regard for anyone else at all. I have read of buses being chartered to take shoppers from cities into the more rural towns, purely so they can empty the supermarket shelves-therefore instantly causing hardship to the community they have raided. Only this morning, I went to my supermarket, there were long queues waiting for the doors to open and so I expected a degree of chaos. I was completely unprepared ! Angry people barged past me to get to the front, swearing and pushing their way past anyone who was unfortunate enough to be in their way. As soon as the doors slid open, there was surge of people behind me and my feet barely touched the ground as I was swept into the store on the tide. Shop assistants looked on anxiously as the mass of people fell on the shelves like hungry vultures. One poor man was trying to fill a shelf with beef mince, but had to take a backward step as grasping hands ripped the packs from him.
I made my way over to the dried pasta and saw a limit had been imposed of two packs per customer, so I took mine and started to move away. Suddenly a very large lady blocked my path and yelled angrily, that she had wanted those two packs- even though there were still a few left on the shelf. I opted to nod, smile, say nothing and then dashed up the aisle, hoping against hope, she would be either unable or unwilling to follow. After far too many years of food shopping, these last few days are the first, when I have felt genuinely intimidated by the atmosphere. So many people displayed frankly aggressive behaviour, as if life itself depended on them securing a pack of toilet paper, a bag of rice or a can of chopped tomatoes. Now, I know those things are useful, but to lose your mind over getting them ? I don't know if they're worth it.
What saddens me, is children are witnessing this madness, who knows what effect it is having on them ? To see their mother or father, scream abuse at a shop assistant, to selfishly take everything, whether or not it will hurt someone else and, perhaps worst of all, to show no regard or care for those around them. In any other situation, if our children behaved in such a way, as parents, we would undoubtedly reprimand them and make them reconsider their actions. But yet here some adults are, openly being the poorest possible example of human behaviour.
But amidst all the chaos, perhaps some good will come, perhaps all our enforced inactivity will give the planet a chance to repair itself. Already there are pictures from Venice, Italy, showing the usually polluted canals are becoming infinitely cleaner owing to the lack of traffic, so hopefully other signs of recovery will start to show.
I think we can all agree, the human population has done tremendous damage to our environment, so it would be a small comfort to know, a result of this virus might have at least one positive effect. I would also like to believe it will bring nations together as we are all affected. For so much of the time, we are divided, either through political differences, religious standpoints or other ideologies which can create a barrier between us. Perhaps as we are facing a common enemy, it will unite us - not as citizens of our own countries but as a global population.
Finally, I think as we navigate our way through this crisis, we need to try and remember, it will not last forever. Generations before us overcame the ravages of world wars, they survived times of hardship and poverty which are way beyond the experience of most of us - but they came through, they weren't beaten and its their spirit which we all need to embody now. It seems to me we have two choices, to look inwardly at ourselves or look outward, to the world at large- if we are to get through this, it has to be the second option because if we all choose the first - well then the world will have truly gone mad. Stay safe everyone and until the next time.....
Take very good care out there xxxx
As can happen, when things get difficult, people start to show their true colours, fortunately, there are many stories of shoppers sharing limited goods with others, communities pulling together to help their most vulnerable residents and others selflessly giving up some of the contents of their shopping trolley, to those who missed out. Sadly, there are also those who seem to feel they are entitled to take everything, to strip shelves of essentials and to show scant regard for anyone else at all. I have read of buses being chartered to take shoppers from cities into the more rural towns, purely so they can empty the supermarket shelves-therefore instantly causing hardship to the community they have raided. Only this morning, I went to my supermarket, there were long queues waiting for the doors to open and so I expected a degree of chaos. I was completely unprepared ! Angry people barged past me to get to the front, swearing and pushing their way past anyone who was unfortunate enough to be in their way. As soon as the doors slid open, there was surge of people behind me and my feet barely touched the ground as I was swept into the store on the tide. Shop assistants looked on anxiously as the mass of people fell on the shelves like hungry vultures. One poor man was trying to fill a shelf with beef mince, but had to take a backward step as grasping hands ripped the packs from him.
I made my way over to the dried pasta and saw a limit had been imposed of two packs per customer, so I took mine and started to move away. Suddenly a very large lady blocked my path and yelled angrily, that she had wanted those two packs- even though there were still a few left on the shelf. I opted to nod, smile, say nothing and then dashed up the aisle, hoping against hope, she would be either unable or unwilling to follow. After far too many years of food shopping, these last few days are the first, when I have felt genuinely intimidated by the atmosphere. So many people displayed frankly aggressive behaviour, as if life itself depended on them securing a pack of toilet paper, a bag of rice or a can of chopped tomatoes. Now, I know those things are useful, but to lose your mind over getting them ? I don't know if they're worth it.
What saddens me, is children are witnessing this madness, who knows what effect it is having on them ? To see their mother or father, scream abuse at a shop assistant, to selfishly take everything, whether or not it will hurt someone else and, perhaps worst of all, to show no regard or care for those around them. In any other situation, if our children behaved in such a way, as parents, we would undoubtedly reprimand them and make them reconsider their actions. But yet here some adults are, openly being the poorest possible example of human behaviour.
But amidst all the chaos, perhaps some good will come, perhaps all our enforced inactivity will give the planet a chance to repair itself. Already there are pictures from Venice, Italy, showing the usually polluted canals are becoming infinitely cleaner owing to the lack of traffic, so hopefully other signs of recovery will start to show.
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| Venice |
Finally, I think as we navigate our way through this crisis, we need to try and remember, it will not last forever. Generations before us overcame the ravages of world wars, they survived times of hardship and poverty which are way beyond the experience of most of us - but they came through, they weren't beaten and its their spirit which we all need to embody now. It seems to me we have two choices, to look inwardly at ourselves or look outward, to the world at large- if we are to get through this, it has to be the second option because if we all choose the first - well then the world will have truly gone mad. Stay safe everyone and until the next time.....
Take very good care out there xxxx
