The world has turned upside down. Fear and grief have enveloped the universe. All norms of normalcy and order in life have been toppled completely by a microscopic organism wreaking havoc throughout the globe. It’s a whirlwind of emotions, a cauldron of suffering. I believe Charles Dickens’ opening lines from A Tale of Two Cities somewhat manage to capture and depict the entire array of feelings going about:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.
It’s a time when people are dropping dead from a lack of oxygen. People have literally live-tweeted their journey to death. Social media platforms have transformed into distress helplines. There is no dignity in death either with all of the anguish those left behind are having to face in performing last rites of those who are no longer with us. It’s troubling to think of all the lives that could have been saved… all those people who could still have been here. Every other person you know is reeling from the infection. Those of us spared by the virus are simply languishing in life.