‘Feels like a new beginning.’ A sequel to ‘The Show must go on.’
The lockdown had started lifting and the students were eager to come back to school. Teachers were keen to see their students after a gap of eight months. The students themselves were waiting for the school to announce that they could return. They were eager to meet their friends, they wanted to be back to their mischievous ways, they wanted to play on the grounds of the school.
The teachers were keen to hear the chatter of children in the corridors. Waiting to take a physical class with them. Ohh…. There was so much to look forward to.
Finally, we had the students back. Well, we saw taller, maybe thinner may be fatter but surely a tech savvy lot of children. Now there was no ‘please put on your camera’ or ‘please answer’. The ‘disappearing act’ of no network or a power outage could not be staged. Yep. It was fun indeed. The students were not used to sitting still for 40 minutes under the vigilant eyes of the teacher. The wait would be for when the teacher would leave, and they could pile up four in a two-seater bench. Phew… it was indeed difficult. The teachers would constantly remind them of social distancing and what have you, but it all fell on deaf ears.
The final exams came, the year ended. Where did the year go? The academic year 2020-21 passed through with online classes, online exams with google forms, video recordings of lessons and links. But we were grateful that we all came through stronger.
BUT……
We came out of one pandemic situation only to step into another. We were fed up with words like lock down, wash your hands, wear your mask, six feet distance, sanitize…. These felt like daily rituals which after a while we got bored of doing, of repeating and there came a time when we gave up.
The rebound of the virus - a different structure, different symptoms, different social norms, and the list goes on just when the wheels of the world were gaining momentum. Businesses were limping back to normal, school opening step by step, travel regulations local, national, and international were flowing back to normal. And there like a spoilt sport we have Omicron making its appearance. The common man at this juncture was not taking the situation seriously and their irresponsible behavior was leading to a rise in cases.
Well, we can beat this guy at his own game. We are a stronger lot. An experienced people. Did he think he could shake us up? We all need to surrender to protocols; behave rationally, we need to take cognizance of rules and regulations. Many of us have lost loved ones – be it family or friends and we vow not to have a repeat performance.
So, let us join hands and believe that we are the world, and we are the people who will fight to be a stronger, responsible, and healthier generation. The world rests on our shoulders as each and every one of us is a part of this heaving, breathing, moving planet. Let us pledge to lead better responsible lives for ourselves and for our children and our children’s children. Join hands and make this happen …. For this current situation too shall pass if we are a fighting part of it.
By Unita Doulton