Monday Blues may not necessarily dampen spirits on resumption of new work days alone. Not in my case at least. Although with no work to look forward to thanks to the nation-wide lockdown, it’s yet a low-spirited and bleak Monday with restrictions on movement (partially even within my society precincts) and on just about everything else imaginable.
13 days into lockdown I step into yet another year in life today. The penultimate year of retirement to be precise. Wow, a pretty satisfying journey! So how’s my day going to go? With essential commodities and services difficult to come by there was little if anything that would make this day special. While a few delivery kitchens were operational on food delivery apps, there was not a single cake shop open. No bells and whistles! And now, no b’day cake too!
Coronavirus has taken center stage attention worldwide and has begotten miseries and calamities across borders what with the ever increasing number of hapless mortals who tested positive and the death toll rising unabatedly.
In the midst of all this action, my family (pet included) and I, ensconced in our habitat for well almost 2 weeks have settled down to replaying a couple of online and offline chores for which time was almost always scarce earlier.
So, board games came tumbling out of cupboards, palatable recipes were googled and prepared, tons of misfiled documents were re-filed, old paper family photos were digitized painstakingly, and new posts were churned out for my blog on personal development. All this while coming to terms with our confinement.
Due to some providential plan it was not solitary confinement as like for those luckless souls who had to be isolated and put on ventilators in dingy hospital rooms for a good fortnight clinging on to dear hope of being reunited with their families.
So how am I celebrating? Well I am not, under the current circumstances. In any case, who could be sure of winning the race against the dreaded disease caused by the novel coronavirus to celebrate thy natal day in the near unforeseeable future?
But I did come thus far to survive COVID-19! At least till today!
We can but hope the situation comes under control by next week and the lockdown is lifted, and better still, transition into a coronavirus-free environment. For this hope to reach fruition, and considering the severity of the pandemic as of now, all of us need do their bit of staying put in our homes, covering our facial orifices with a mask when needing to venture out for essentials, and washing our hands with soap and water on returning.
There surely will be celebrations. Just when, would be a difficult conjecture, but we will definitely celebrate the victory in the battle against coronavirus very soon!
So, cheers and happy birthday to me! This b’day might have been lackluster but my next will hopefully be free of any misfortune as I enter a new phase in life with a freewheeling and devil-may-care piquancy – that of becoming a senior citizen!
About Sunny Ramchandani