It has been more than 16 months and Covid is still going strong, and despite vaccine being available there seems no respite in near future. In this period lockdown, Covid curfew, online meetings, and work from home have all become part of our routine lives, while most of us have also learnt to abide norms of social distancing, sanitisation, washing hands, and of course wearing mask. Namaste has replaced shaking hands, hugs, and kisses. People have also stopped getting offended if not invited on marriage or other social functions, even by close relatives, and friends.
Needless to say – this has been the most traumatic, and stressful period of our lives, and most of us pray routinely, and relentlessly for situation to improve. Experiences are always highly personal, and during all these months you all must have come across certain memorable instances, in different shades, and colours.
During this period I have come across two different class of individuals; (i) Go Getters, and (ii) Safe Players. Even though some falling in the former are bound by call of duty, majority has voluntarily accepted the risk of exposing themselves to the contagion, so as to minimise sufferings, and inconvenience of the masses. They can be seen here, there, and everywhere; busy providing food, medicine, and other essential supplies, assisting in sanitisation of public places as also ensuring general compliance of Covid responsible behaviour, assisting in mass awareness, management of traffic, quarantine centres, isolation facilities, and even cremation sites. They could be seen waiting for their turn to donate plasma, as also arranging dignified last rites of the Covid victims wherein even the next of kin desert the departed soul.
Even though taking calculated risk for a definite benevolent purpose “Go Getters” are not reckless, and they take all possible precautions to avoid getting contaminated but one would agree that their volunteerism, and spirit of benevolence puts them at a higher risk.
“Safe Players” certainly outnumber the “Go Getters”. This class of persons are suspicious to the core, as if their rivals, and competitors have handed over their supari to Covid, and it is out there on rampage with the sole purpose of infecting them. They are invariably double masked, donning surgical gloves, sanitiser bottles, and pulse oximeter, and they do not miss any opportunity of sanitising their gadgets in public.
“Safe Players” no doubt utilised the lockdown period searching, evaluating, and ordering a variety of sophisticated hi-tech gadgets to sanitise, and disinfect their home, work place, and provisions. Anything from outside, including a living being, can only enter their homes only after passing the test of these appliances.
I am really not sure if “Safe Players” have already stocked oxygen cylinders, but I certainly wonder why they have not yet procured PPE kits for going around for shopping.
I do not call “Go Getters” courageous idiots; they are actually charged with conviction, benevolence, sense of duty, and above all they have faith in Him. They at the same time take all possible precautions and these even include staying away from their beloved ones.
On the contrary “Safe Players” are always suspicious, behaving as if the entire world is conspiring to infect them. They at the same time are infested with the fatal belief that they are not going to survive the infection. This sense of insecurity justifies their overcautious behaviour.
I might well be wrong, but I have enough valid reasons to put forth that both infection and mortality rates have been relatively high amongst “Safe Players”. This, I attribute to the conviction, affirmation and positivity of “Go Getters” that boosts their immunity, and helps them stay safe.
Based on this I take the liberty of going a step farther, and theorising that Covid is actually a mind game; it all starts in the mind, and if you are convinced mentally of being vulnerable, and contacting the contagion, you have done enough to convince your subconscious mind that sends befitting signal to the immune system to surrender at the very first instance, and without offering resistance of any kind. It is like the US surrender of Fort Detroit to the British Army during the War of 1812.
Had this not been true the elites amongst politicians (like Amit Shah, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Digvijay Singh, Kamal Rani Varun, B.S. Yadiyurappa, Banwarilal Purohit, Randeep Singh Surjewala, and Harsimrat Kaur Badal), and actors (like Bachchans, Amir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Govinda, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, Paresh Rawal, Ranganathan Madhavan, and Manoj Bajpayee) whose social distancing is all through, and always ensured by Commandos, and Bouncers would have never fallen prey to Covid.
This is not to justify lowering of guard, but to amplify the power of conviction, affirmation and positivity.
So be positive- we already have vaccine around, as also numerous people ready to reach out, and help in case you are in trouble. So, do not hesitate in reaching out to the ones in need, and help them to the extent possible. This would in turn infuse positivity in you, and it is this dose of positivity that is required the most in this turbulent and uncertain Covid period.
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