Helpless, But Not Hopeless

At one go, the headline seems to be quite tantalising, but for the second time, it might appear a little too far fetched, and given the current circumstances even unachievable. Definitely, who on earth could expect an iota of optimism, when everything’s topsy turvy?

Journalists don’t even have the liberty to switch off from these ghastly news as you got to deal with all of it yourself, almost 24*7. The portrayals aren’t too promising, with most of them reporting deaths, due to the lack of proper medical attention, oxygen cylinders and poor infrastructure in the hospitals.

The burning grounds project an even darker reality, with fumes everywhere, and little or almost no place to bury the dead bodies. How on earth are you expected to remain calm under such gruesome circumstances? I have always taken immense pride in being raised in a culture that was always uplifting, no matter what the circumstances were. 

Bad day at office? Boss yelling or dealing with the unnecessary tantrums of the landlord, everything had a solution. We could just step out for coffee, or dial a friend that’d be assuring you that everything’s going to normalise soon enough, you just need to repose faith in yourself, accept the situation, and just move on. 

And, quite magically, things would settle down, all problems taken care of, leading to a wonderful, bright day ahead. Months later, we’d just laugh it off, stating we were too juvenile…

But, it seems now things are a tad different. Actually, very different and difficult. There’s practically none to dial-up now, asking for solace, as all of us are fighting the same battle. The sensible ones say that this is just a phase, and that this too shall pass soon enough. Except that none of us know when. 

On a normal working from home day, when my mind was flooded with countless such thoughts, I came across this wonderful article in The Times of India, that invoked a sense of power, strength and hope in me. 

At this point in time, it feels as if there’s no other option other than being hopeful, and being accountable for your own actions, not letting yourself be vulnerable to how others treat you. Is this, therefore, easier said than done? We may be failing sometimes, but at the end of the day, we know that it is the failures that are the pillars of success. 

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