And the world stood still

And the world stood still. Literally.

What is happening to us will stay etched in our minds and in history. A submicroscopic particle defeating what is supposedly the most intelligent and powerful living being on the face of the earth. And to stop it toppling the whole system like dominoes, the system has had to grind to a halt. The impossible is now a reality: the world is taking a break from human beings.

A compulsory stop. They call it quarantine. And suddenly we find ourselves shut inside our homes, cut off from all our routines, our obligations, our leisure time and our habits. A temporary loss of freedom for the common good. We’re forbidden to hug, kiss or touch another human being… because it could be dangerous for ourselves and for the other person, and for many others who depend on those two doing the right thing. Such simple, basic gestures, so easily within reach just a few weeks ago. Who would have thought we’d be forbidden something as simple as a hug, something we took so much for granted.

Solidarity. Collective thinking. Let’s think as a whole and not as individuals: that’s what the situation and society demand. Solidarity is what’s going to wipe out the virus. That’s the great test we face as a country. Us and everyone else. And we need to pass with flying colours, because with COVID-19, just scraping through won’t do.

Like every great catastrophe, this one brings out the best and the worst in human beings. Fear, a great enemy right now. Panic, really, more than fear. Why, if they say the virus isn’t dangerous for most of the population? Because fear is born of uncertainty, of not knowing, of having no certainty about what’s going to happen: what if they’re wrong? What if this gets worse? What if they’re lying to us? What if… My neighbour told me… I’ve heard… I saw there was nothing left at the supermarket… Uncertainty is the queen bee, and anxiety, fear and panic follow her. Why is panic a problem? Because it’s almost more contagious than the virus itself. That leads to collective hysteria and, in many cases, bad decisions. Bad decisions that harm everyone else. Because if I grab 20 packets of rice, there are none left for the person behind me. And I don’t need those 20 packets; it’s my fear that needs them, to calm down a little, for a while.

It’s not only fear: selfishness and recklessness also come to light at the worst of times. People who keep going out running, walking or throwing parties despite the state of emergency. Of course staying at home is hard: quarantine removes a large part of our everyday positive reinforcers (pleasant things, rewards). From feeling the breeze and the sun on your face, to going to the gym, to having a drink with friends after work… and countless other things. But that’s where we show our strength, solidarity, spirit of sacrifice and teamwork. And in this case, our team is the entire population of Spain.

Then there’s the other side of the coin, which fortunately far outweighs the first. Solidarity, ingenuity, courage, effort, good humour, compassion, introspection, putting our own problems into perspective… are tripling in the days we’re living through. Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say. We’re seeing it for ourselves in the hundreds of videos and WhatsApp messages doing the rounds. I’ve cried with laughter at some of the videos people have sent me, and I admit they’re making the quarantine much more bearable. But I’ve also cried at people’s acts of solidarity.

The universe kept whispering to us, we didn’t listen, and so it shouted. A lesson that comes in the form of a virus, whose after-effects, on many levels, we’re going to carry with us for much longer than we can imagine right now. I hope we don’t forget the lesson as soon as we get our normality, our lives, back. I’d like to think that each of us, in our own way, will use this experience to reflect on things we wouldn’t otherwise have considered; to improve and grow as people.