Sunny side up

Much water has flown down the Cauvery since we began feeling the initial impact of Covid-19 last year around this time. As talk of the deadly virus became shriller in the third month of 2020, I became apprehensive of the Ides of March, I didn’t dare to dismiss it as Caesar did.

Caution became the watchword as I braced myself for whatever was looming. Before long, the lockdowns came into force and social distancing, hand sanitising and wearing of masks became the norm. I still remember vividly how everyone sighed about the coronavirus, the way it upended our lives and what a sudden seismic societal shift it was from our regular and predictable routines.

It was amusing and annoying to hear all and sundry wax sentimental about the things they missed – working in offices, the daily commute despite the pollution and traffic jams, socialising with friends and colleagues, hugs, kisses and smiles unobstructed by masks; and indeed the toll the new online working from home was taking as they were robbed of the simple and profound pleasures they were used to.

One year later, in retrospect, I for one think the lockdown, the isolation, the social distancing et al was a godsend. I am not asocial but to be candid this unexpected ‘house arrest’ was a blessing in disguise. It gave me the freedom to be myself, to bask in me-time, the solitude and do things I wouldn’t have otherwise done.

I revelled in reading and writing without distraction. I enjoyed the magical sounds of music, even the sounds of silence and luxuriated in afternoon naps. The absence of our household help engendered physical activity as I swept, mopped, dusted and washed even as I, when demanded, lent a helping hand to my significant other in making wine, squashes, marmalades and jams. I avoided visiting the barber’s salon and assiduously learnt to trim my beard and hair; I saved money but notably, I am confident I can give my old barber a run for his money! Covid-19 also meant working online from home. For a self-confessed Luddite like yours truly, I was able to grasp the essence of online teaching and deliver effectively. So much so I’d plump for online work any day!

Alas, while I rollick in this unforeseen yet unusual lifestyle and deeply regret the many deaths, I am acutely aware this too shall pass. But as long as it lasts, I will gratefully delight in all the good things unwittingly wrought upon us by this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.