The pandemic the world is facing is a rather unprecedented situation. There is a lockdown, a need for social distancing. Work is being done from home or, in the worst-case scenario, stalled completely. You’re forced to re-evaluate your life so far and take steps to counter and eventually triumph over this strange time. With the lockdown in place, it is sometimes hard to get what you need. Some of those snacks I took for granted as always being available? I can’t get them. Foodstuffs that were plentiful must be rationed now as you never know when the next stock will come in.
There is no doubt, though, that it will come in. Nevertheless, it is at times like this that I believe in the community spirit. Doctors and medical staff are putting their lives on the line. They have saved lives, given hope, and kept the pandemic’s madness controlled. Words cannot describe the nobility of their service. Of late, I have been noticing some others as well, the unsung heroes who help out nearly every day. The newspaperman, for example, who brings the papers home early in the morning right on schedule. Pandemic or not, you always find the paper on your doorstep so that you know what’s going on in the world.
The milkman who delivers milk and sometimes groceries if you need them. Those who deliver foodstuff from stores when they can, and try to source what they don’t have. The stores themselves that stay open in spite of it all. Vegetable vendors who take the trouble to visit you no matter what, with pushcarts stocked with whatever they can find. The pharmacists who keep a stock of the medicines you need and take pains to try and get you those they don’t have. Those who come to collect the trash every day, or every alternate day. They make sure the neighbourhood stays clean. The electricians who work diligently to make sure the power comes back on in a short time if it fails.
In spite of the alarming news you keep hearing about every day, there are always individuals who make these days brighter. Yes, these are trying times, but there are those who work to make the day just a little better. These individuals are heroes, and I don’t think I have ever seen any of them grumble, or scowl, or frown, at any time, in spite of the hardships they must face along with everyone else. They are always smiling.
Parvathi Ramkumar Email: suryakantham3@yahoo.com