Humanity is you, humanity is me, humanity is everyone. I never thought of people being so inhumane at times until the danger came. They say, “Crisis does not build character, it reveals it” (Perry). The world now scrapes through the crisis that taught me something about being a human and taught me something about changing the way we live. It started when I lost a friend.
Summer 2020, my anti-virus mask hanging on the nail at the door; the room is filled with fresh air coming from the open window. I am ready to crawl out to the street. Being able to walk the streets has never pleased anyone since people evolved from apes. A simple act of breathing has never been so fascinating. Lesson one: appreciate what you have now. When I walked down the deserted streets after essential shopping that cloudy morning, flashbacks were haunting me with people grabbing what they can in the shops, as if it was an apocalypse. The sight of a girl with an Asian appearance being bullied moved me deeply. They asked her to leave public space and stop spreading the virus. Lesson two: people can be rude. From now on, staying at home would be the best option, I thought.
The next day, as I was sitting seeking comfort in Netflix, my cellphone showed the signs of life. It was Vic inviting me to a secret party they organize. He could not think of any reason to stop having fun. They had a whole house to hang out while his parents were away. I clenched my hands into fists. My instant impulse was to rush, but instead, I reminded him of the risk and was pretty damn quick branded a buzzkill and Judas. I felt both angry and worried. Attempts to bring home to friends through texting failed to succeed. I stepped back, what would you do? Lesson three: we believe our friends share our thoughts, but when times are hard, we see the clear-cut boundaries between our values and theirs.
We never talked since then, and I am not sure if I ever will. I hardly ever regret it, to be honest. The feeling of responsibility for the people around aroused in me like never before. In times like usual, nothing crucial would happen. Imagine two teenagers in a conflict so petty. They meet, have a coffee talk, settle down for a good old gossip and forget all the disagreements. Fear of the future and tense air around splits up those who believe in defense mode, and those, who do not care to protect the others. Crisis breaks the constructions that are flimsy and enhance that are strong.
I want to think of humanity in the right way. The pandemic came as a revelation. I lost a friend. I do not want us to lose our humanity. Soon all this will be over, but it seems that the world will never get out of it untouched. People still need to learn to be humans. Lesson learned: the crisis in the world ongoing now sharpens racism, egoism, and everything dark we have in ourselves. Take care of your bodies and take care of your mind. Mind yourself, appreciate the people around: pandemic knows no nationality, nor how much money you have got – now we are all equal. Only united we survive. Literally.
Work Cited
Perry, John. “Crisis Doesn’t Build Character, It Reveals It.” Igentics, 2020, Web.