COVID-19: a Reckoning
As I walked in Nature with my family my son observed: "Everything we need to do now is everything you've always done mom." Probably much of that is as a result of being an introvert with OCD, handwashing & alone time has always been big around here.
It's also true that I've always suggested that eating meat is a very bad idea for everyone involved. Let's not forget that this virus stems from the consumption of animals. One of the positives of having many cities on lock down during this phase of trying to "flatten the curve" is that levels of man made pollution have dropped significantly. I like a meme I saw that suggested Climate Change should use Coronavirus's publicist.
The need for urgent changes in our behaviour as a human race has been of longtime pressing concern. But people soon grow fatigued by the same old news.
It's also clear that our socio-economic systems are unhealthy. For the longest time I've been having what I'm sure is the standard Gen X midlife crisis and been yearning to remove myself from the capitalist machine and retire to a life of simple hard work -- living sustainably off the land. I'm not much of a gardener and would much prefer the wandering of our hunter-gatherer forebears, but since all land has been divvied up this is no longer possible. I wholeheartedly shout Hear! Hear! to French anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon assertion that all property is theft.
Our South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday night that we are in a State of Disaster. My kids are delighted by a sudden 4 week holiday. I'm terribly concerned for the majority of our nation who live in townships and informal settlements which include high density living and little to no service delivery. We're talking no running water or electricity, let alone the resources to self-isolate and up hygiene standards.
Here the upmarket chain stores are empty of goods as the wealthy panic and stock up on everything. The very ones who have least to fear, but ironically those who are responsible for bringing the virus back from their jaunts in Europe. Now they have transmitted it to their domestic staff and so our President sees the writing on the wall. We have decided to send our domestic goddess home to Zim where she can at least be with her family during this global crisis. Hopefully she'll be safer than in the squalid conditions of shack life in Masiphumelele.
Crises are interesting. They bring out both the best and worst in people. As we stocked up on library books yesterday I noticed many people checking one another out askance. Much suspicion. But there are also offers on community Facebook groups to help the elderly and immune compromised with shopping and what not.
In the digital age there are so many ways to stay connected though there is absolutely no shortcut to being connected with yourself. In fact a lot of online life serves to thoroughly obfuscate our inner knowing and genuine connection with others. It has been clear to me for a long time that online social networks often lead to self-isolation. If there's one thing I'm quite sure of it's that our wellbeing/immunity is MOST affected by our inner landscape. Here is one of many posts I've written on boosting our health.
I believe this is an invitation for us to rethink our day-to-day choices. We HAVE to change our wicked ways. This is our only planet. We are inextricably connected to her and one another. We need more consciousness in our choices. Every one must make a difference.
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It's also true that I've always suggested that eating meat is a very bad idea for everyone involved. Let's not forget that this virus stems from the consumption of animals. One of the positives of having many cities on lock down during this phase of trying to "flatten the curve" is that levels of man made pollution have dropped significantly. I like a meme I saw that suggested Climate Change should use Coronavirus's publicist.
It's also clear that our socio-economic systems are unhealthy. For the longest time I've been having what I'm sure is the standard Gen X midlife crisis and been yearning to remove myself from the capitalist machine and retire to a life of simple hard work -- living sustainably off the land. I'm not much of a gardener and would much prefer the wandering of our hunter-gatherer forebears, but since all land has been divvied up this is no longer possible. I wholeheartedly shout Hear! Hear! to French anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon assertion that all property is theft.
Our South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday night that we are in a State of Disaster. My kids are delighted by a sudden 4 week holiday. I'm terribly concerned for the majority of our nation who live in townships and informal settlements which include high density living and little to no service delivery. We're talking no running water or electricity, let alone the resources to self-isolate and up hygiene standards.
Here the upmarket chain stores are empty of goods as the wealthy panic and stock up on everything. The very ones who have least to fear, but ironically those who are responsible for bringing the virus back from their jaunts in Europe. Now they have transmitted it to their domestic staff and so our President sees the writing on the wall. We have decided to send our domestic goddess home to Zim where she can at least be with her family during this global crisis. Hopefully she'll be safer than in the squalid conditions of shack life in Masiphumelele.
Crises are interesting. They bring out both the best and worst in people. As we stocked up on library books yesterday I noticed many people checking one another out askance. Much suspicion. But there are also offers on community Facebook groups to help the elderly and immune compromised with shopping and what not.
In the digital age there are so many ways to stay connected though there is absolutely no shortcut to being connected with yourself. In fact a lot of online life serves to thoroughly obfuscate our inner knowing and genuine connection with others. It has been clear to me for a long time that online social networks often lead to self-isolation. If there's one thing I'm quite sure of it's that our wellbeing/immunity is MOST affected by our inner landscape. Here is one of many posts I've written on boosting our health.
I believe this is an invitation for us to rethink our day-to-day choices. We HAVE to change our wicked ways. This is our only planet. We are inextricably connected to her and one another. We need more consciousness in our choices. Every one must make a difference.
And please verify your email address (check your junkmail!)
Thanks :)
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