Happiness has become a premium product in 'Corona Kaal' or in 'The Age of Corona'. Simple things like, hugging and talking to someone face-to-face has become taboo for an year now. I won't lie that it has been easy for me either though I am a self-confessed loner. I have tried everything to keep myself gainfully occupied even when work became scarce and family members needed to be taken care of and the best way was to take them in.
Gainful employment took various meanings for me - cook, clean, shop, chop and drop (dead at the end of the day.) Also, I went back to art and writing by hand, keeping journals, diaries and doodle pads. I tried to go back to my childhood looking for things that made me happy and dug out board games and old Doordarshan shows on YouTube.
The only time I took the camera out of the house was last month when it seemed that the virus was on the wane but, it has made a comeback this month and how!
One whole year later, I can honestly say that non-deliberate slow living is a killer.
Don't take me otherwise, I am a great believer in slow living and must confess that it has been great for me when I had been practicing it deliberately. Not when it was enforced upon me last year by a pesky virus.
The top 10 things that kept me going during Corona Kaal were simple things that mostly included - but of course, human interaction.
1. Spending time with my family in my home (that would never have happened under normal circumstances.) At one point I had both my parents and then, I had my mother, sister and niece staying with me. It was hectic and physically taxing but, such happy times. I am really thankful for the six months my house was open for my family.
2. Spending winter afternoons at the building terrace chatting with neighbors, playing board games, watching flashy migratory birds in the nearby clump of trees, singing, drying launtry in the afternoon Sun and enjoying bonfires in the evening. It was a piece directly out of my childhood memories. Full of warmth and smell of burning logs.
3. Sharing food with neighbours and exchanging recipes. Don't even get me started on this one. The last year was the year of extensive and experimental cooking till most people started getting dreaded words like, cholestrol, uric acid and what not in their yearly blood reports!
4. Going out once in 10 days to buy groceries and chatting up with the vendors. Talking to the shopkeepers and roadside vendors and listening to their stories and issues are highlights of my week. The market days are full of local news and political discussions. I really look forward to them over the ease of getting everything delivered at my doorstep.
5. Finding out shops that sell art and craft supplies and spending whatever leftover money from the groceries on paint and paper, brush and pens. It was so therapeutic. Creative outlet is my go to psychiatrist these days. Or, at least an instant pick-me-up.
6. Meeting known faces on the road and passing them by because of the mask has been crazy but, upon realizing who it is, it's the best feeling to be able to spend a few minutes talking and exchanging news however mundane. Just saying 'Namaste' or 'hi' to someone I am used to talking all the time before, never fails to make me emotional in a happy kind of way these days.
7. Gardening. Can't explain what the sight of a thriving plant that I had foraged or a new leaf coming out of an old plant makes me feel. I must confess that I have cried at the sight of a new leaf - go figure!
8. Writing by hand. It made me so happy that I had stopped blogging altogether till today. Enough said.
9. WhatsApp maybe a curse and have broken up old friends with new political differences but, the video calls were highlights of many a days when there was nothing to look forward to but, long winter evenings that were really hard. Family and friends from different cities and other parts of the world were there to reassure that I was not alone. Many of my uncles and aunts and also my mother learnt how to use the video calling facility and it made them feel so happy to see each other and talk like they were in the same room. Warmed the cockles of my heart.
10. No thanks to mainstream media with its made up news but, YouTube's the hero all the way. Truth found a new space here though it is under government scrutiny these days. But, with videos on myriad topics from food to lifestyle, DIY, art, culture and 'real' news. I think YouTube's slayed it for me.
I won't say that was all but, these were defintly the things that kept me sane and grounded. I also re-started Yoga since my annual blood report fared no better than that of the rest of the world.
Mainly I learnt that my happiness is totally dependent upon me. I alone am responsible for keeping it sane and healthy. I am not ashamed to say that I did touch rock bottom several times and lost some loved ones and spent sleepless nights praying for recovery of others. But, through it all what kept me going was faith that, 'this too shall pass'.
Despite the shelved life plans, scare of even a single sneeze or running nose or inability to make rotis that are soft and fluffy everyday or, not being able to plan for the future, the things that keeps me going are, kindness of random people, smiles of complete strangers and a strong belief that this is not the end and life will be back on tracks - soon.
Do share your experinces as well. Because, together we will get over this too.
Take care and stay safe.
Picture Credits: Shoma Chakraborty
Very well written
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
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