The year 2020 brought a new normal with itself. Or should we say a brief (yes I know it feel excruciatingly long) abnormal phase. Either way, a 'new year, new you' has been set in motion. Option hi kya tha!
My definition of a productive day has changed drastically. But I guess that's the case with all my fellow quarantines *OR* should I say all asymptomatic TikTokers!
Did I touch a nerve there??? No, no. No no no no no... please don't dismiss the thought just yet. Chances are that you're humming the tune of Laxed Siren Beat without even having an account on the platform or, your self-affirmations have started sounding something like..."I'm A Savage! Classy, Bougie, Ratchet, Sassy, Moody, Nasty...".
You get the drift, eh!
For me quarantining started a li'l early, say around mid March, and those two weeks felt like eternity coz who knew our 'i-need-a-break-from-my-regular-life' rant would come true in the most morbid way possible. It was (still is) weird to witness something so twisted that would put several episodes of Black Mirror to shame.
One would think that our search history would be panic inducing, full of 'what precautions to take', 'how to sanitize shizz', etc. But mine was something like:
How to pronounce quarantine—is it tin or tyne?
Cat food availability
Cat food stores nearby?
Is cat food a part of essentials?
Sale on lounge wear
First question was a crowd fave on Google, next three were for my peace of mind as a cat parent, coz if they aren't well fed they'll ensure you know how unhappy they are. Oh, and as far as the last one is concerned, old habits die hard, eh!
Then there was April where all I did was either increasing views on 'Corona stat' videos on YouTube or frantically refreshing @NobertElekes' Twitter feed for corona updates. My fear was directly proportional with the COVID positive cases which were on the rise, and that made me spend better part of the month sanitizing everything that came through our front door. Mindless content consumption and zero productivity is how I'd like to describe my April. But I did bake a cake, and deep fried hash browns aka tikkis! And I planted (& killed) some houseplants too.
Not in my house, but, everywhere else nature was flourishing! The rivers were getting sparkling clean, the air quality in cities had started giving a tough competition to the fresh air of the hills, ozone layer was healing itself, the mighty mountains showcased themselves to the towns far, far away. Nature's magic show was in full swing, and so were the 'we are the virus' memes.
On personal front, I realized that oil laden hair or my hairy arms were not stopping me from stepping out for grocery runs. Guess what, I do have waxing strips at home but IDC!
This is not something I would have ever done pre-lockdown, so it felt like a li'l personal victory. No waxing, no threading = No pain, all gain.
I'm not sure if this is because I've *finally* realized that whatever was drilled in my head while growing up was untrue & I'll still be a girl (not a bear) and can be all hygienic without waxing. Or, if it is so because I have a mask on at all times and no one could tell who's who so why care. I'll have to get to the bottom of this theory.
This ongoing pause on the so called regular life made us embrace lot of good things, and unfortunately a lot bad things/situations/incidents reared its ugly head too. These are tough times indeed, but the folk tales I read all through my childhood tell me that there's also a golden opportunity or a lesson hidden somewhere and waiting to be unveiled. Be it discovering your own self, life skills, yoga, cooking, baking banana bread, cutting your own hair (or convincing your dad to let you give him a haircut-check!), whatever floats your boat, do it! I too am trying to sulk less each day thinking about my old 'normal' life. Some days I'm ready and happy to move into this new phase, others not so much. I still have days when sadness overcomes the zeal and makes everything seem futile, however, since there's no expiry date on the pandemic *YET* I borrow John Greenleaf Whittier's words, "Rest if you must, but don't you quit".
So, here I am watching videos on how to grow microgreens coz your girl wants fresh dhaniya in all her meals. And #aatmanirbhar FTW, bro.
If there's only one thing certain about the future, that is change, and Made In India jugaad that we'll make the best out of any and every situation. Let's make it worthwhile and gratifying.
This is my diary, my promises, my learning, and my failures (someday I might share the tragic tale of an avocado seed).