Unprecedented













In January of this year (do you remember January...?), I went through a break-up.

Okay. It was a short-lived relationship anyway; we tried something and it didn't work out.

But what was particularly tough about it, was that I thought it was all going so well: And the decision was made out of my control. The worst-type of decision, but a decision I have come to accept and make peace with.

Now that sounds overly dramatic; but that wasn't to be the last time this year that circumstances beyond my control had a direct impact on my quality of life.

Am I really using a recent break-up as a cheap way of introducing -  metaphorically - the current world situation?
Well yes, yes I am. I mean - *gestures at literally everything*

Buckle up.




Wired.com have got it right; we've been creating media about apocalypses excessively for this millennial's lifetime like they were going out of fashion. And yet when one turns up on our own doorsteps, we're actually woefully unprepared.

It still isn't genuinely clear to me how the food supply chain is going to hold out over the duration of the pandemic; so many people genuinely prioritised wiping their asses over being able to eat; and everything about this pandemic - or more accurately, each country's responses to it - has highlighted in the starkest terms yet that some form of socialism is required for the vast majority of people to survive.
To survive. To make it through.
Some of you may die, but it is a sacrifice I am willing to make...
I'm still not entirely sure how a number of businesses are still in operation.

Although I suspect it is part of the complex woven nature of the global supply chain; you could be involved in some manner in medical product production, or have a multi-country model that can still operate largely remotely. Although any business involved in physically shipping inedible goods; material things - they are most likely to have warehouses where the least paid staff are forced to work for their own survival, in light of no viable alternative.
And I'm sure there are many businesses where they are doing their absolute best (other than closing down and potentially terminating livelihoods) to keep things clean and as safe as possible.
But I'm sure there those that are not - and we will (at best) hear about them via in-depth journalism in a few year's time.

It's got me to wondering whether it was like this in wartime. Specifically World War II - did businesses continue? I suppose they did. Any involved in the war effort in some way did; but to the same extent as today?

Of course not. We didn't have corporations back then. Power was held by the rich and elite, not by the shareholders (which, admittedly, doesn't always differ today), but there was a 'noble cause' in fighting Nazis. People didn't need much motivation.
Although as QI points out, people still committed crime during the Blitz. And so forth.

-

It's actually very difficult to continue writing about the whole scenario, because it is difficult to understand.
Yes there is a clear Hitler in this situation - admittedly more of a literal disease than the Nazi's - but it is everything else surrounding "The New Normal" that is difficult to take in, understand, and cope with.

And I can tell, because this blog is struggling; there was an initial power and fire to this, but I'm finding that ebbing away from me as I think getting closer to the general uncertainty this train of thought brings me.

Even escaping through certain media; Community Season 2 is fun, but two episodes about Quarantine and Lockdown just don't have the right impact right now.
Even the Mitchell and Webb sketches about The Event (Remain Indoors!) just don't have the same impact now - partly because they're about an unidentified scenario, where as - on the surface - it is at least clear what we are dealing with; even if the only solution is to Remain Indoors where at all possible.

Even the music I'm listening to right now as I type - that's all so "pre-Covid-19" - the world sounds a lot different now.

-

Obviously, for those of us that make us through this; everything in the creative world is going to have a field day with this whole topic - probably literally in a field, because we will be able to again.

But it will be interesting to see how everything else reacts to the whole situation. Economic, political (remember Brexit?), ecological, social; even philosophical.

-

But for now I remain discombobulated. I keep repeating my favourite word of the moment - 'unprecedented' - because it is; everything about this is.
But does it bring comfort? Does it bring joy? Does it bring laughter?
(Do you remember laughter...?)

-

I don't know at this stage, and maybe neither do you.

And that's okay.

It's okay to drift for a while.

Until the government says no.

-

So for the time being, I will continue to take the obvious route - I will continue to work for my employer, whilst acknowledging there are massive flaws in the overall capitalist system. I will continue escaping through a variety of routes.
I will continue to be amazed at the variety of impacts this whole situation is having on everyone.

In fact I think that is the hardest part - remembering all the ways in which each of my friends are being affected; and trying to keep up with them - and trying to check in.

I want to keep making sure that everyone is okay.

But how do you prioritise those around you that you love?

-

Right, this is getting too bleak. Time to escape via one of my favourite silly videos.

Take care of yourselves.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

#DemocracyIsBroken

Farthest From Home

A Thing Isn’t Beautiful Because It Lasts