The One Where We Explore Possibilities

COVID19 feels like a surreal reality show consuming all of humankind. Unlike Love is Blind or The Circle, there aren’t a tiny bunch of people on an isolated island who are in the middle of a weird social experiment. This is all of us in this experiment, put here without our consent. Whether I see it from an isolated individual level or a holistic world view, it feels like an experiment to gauge resilience and persistence. To see how much we can push ourselves.

I feel like a member of the FRIENDS world where a director and screenwriter somewhere in that universe decided I was Pheobe and my entire world would be marred with uncertainty.  But, I wasn’t the only Pheobe, we all are. We are all a part of this plot.

We are all uncertain and unsure. There is a tinge of “what if” to everything we do. It’s almost as if, the next time the wind changes direction, we would all tumble under like dominoes. It’s an odd image to have. All of humanity waiting for the wind to decide where we go.

It makes sense though. This is the time we look to leaders to lead us. Some are, and some, well, they are trying. When all this begins to die down and we begin to see what worked and what didn’t we’ll find the true leaders from the rest I’ve always said that leaders are found in retrospect, and I’m starting to see that this little adage may hold some kernels of truth.

I read (okay, skimmed) this article and that started me off on a whole different journey of speculation. Okay, so COVID19 is here to stay, but what wonders could come after?

I was wondering, will all the shops look the same? Will restaurants look the same? And I couldn’t help but think that no maybe they won’t. Maybe now, as a society, we’ll begin to value and demand less crowded spaces, build more inclusive spaces, and see that what was previously thought impossible, can truly be the new normal. We might see a shift in priorities where communities will be valued more than purses and cars.

I was wondering if instead of closing borders, and minds, could we use this as an opportunity to educate ourselves, to bring ourselves closer to people, and build bridges where once there weren’t any?

I know this sounds quite abstract. It’s supposed to. It’s supposed to spark an idea of belonging and inclusion. Of hope. To get us thinking, what we can do to be better, wiser, closer, happier.

I know it feels daunting. I feel it too. Maybe, let’s find a way to make it less scary?