From the eyes of CORONA: Reporting Live from planet ET1
This is CORONA reporting live from planet call earth coded as ET 1. In a very short time of a month, humans have written so much about me — fact and fiction included. Everyone here seems to have so much to say, they are incessantly sharing and forwarding their knowledge about me through some kind of device that is their constant companion. It feels wonderful and I am glowing in all the attention. However, I was feeling a bit left out so I decided to join the conversation — by telling my side of the story. My trip to planet ET1 so far has been both a humbling and a character-building learning experience about the predominant human race that seems to think that they own this planet. I had overheard my dear human friend that any adversity or crisis brings to the fore the best that they have to offer and simultaneously the worst that they can display as a human. During my world tour, I witnessed just the same, from Milan to Mumbai and from Wuhan to Tehran. So here it goes — a tale of apathy and empathy that is so well knitted that you sometimes feel you are dealing with a Schizophrenic clan…
So, let us start with the Bad & Ugly: Never before in history have the humans across the borders together as one species centered on a single problem — Me. As I a single strand RNA continue challenging their posturing, their imagined self-importance, their delusion that they have some privileged position in the universe — I still see the arrogance and apathy in many of their eyes. Their scientists have coronated me (they thought my piercing spikes are like crowns. Well well!!) and I wear this crown with pride but no prejudice! My no prejudiced attitude has unfortunately still not rubbed on humans and it will leave a very Ugly Scar that will be only unraveled in the coming years. They feel that since mankind has always survived and so they will be able to tackle any future challenges as well. They fail to realize that such a statement can only come from species that have lasted until now. To assume that their existence to date is an indication that future survival is guaranteed is a serious flaw of reasoning. Probably the most serious of all!
Fooled by the randomness and drunk on their thoughts of invincibility, they remain still engrained deeply in the prejudicial attitude towards the fellow species and they continue their posturing against each other in times of crisis. They have numbered me, named, and tried shaming me calling me Chinese and Italian Virus. I wanted to cry out — I am as much American, like Chinese, as much Hindu as Muslim, as much Black as white, I am all shades of grey and beyond. However, I will let my actions speak louder than my words — and they will! Today as I smile and ask where are your missiles, the coveted fighter jets, and the dreaded chemical and nuclear weapons? No country responds! I hope that they will take a cue from me and they respond someday not with words but with their acts — acts of Kindness and someday I and they together can cherish the ‘Karuna in times of CORONA’
As the earth today remains in maintenance zone and humans in introspection mode — thanks to me; I am reminded of one of their eminent anthropologist Margret Maed -who was once asked as what she thought qualified as the first sign of civilization in human culture. Everyone expected her to talk about the iron weapons, wheels, clay pot, dancing figures, clay pots, or grinding stones. To everyone’s amazement, she replied that in her mind, “the first sign of civilization in ancient culture was a femur (thigh bone) that had broken and then healed with callus (new bone). She went on to explain that in the animal kingdom if you break your leg, you die. You cannot run from danger, get to the river for a drink, or hunt for food. You are a slice of meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives broken leg long enough for the bone to heal”. “A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the person with care, food, and security through the recovery process. Helping someone else through the difficulty is where the civilization starts — Mead said”!
What an intelligent and observant lass, true to her words — the humans are not completely disproving her. While I saw something nauseating in several privileged statements — I also saw a deep hope and confidence that I will be able to leave this planet and go back because of the sheer power of humans to display something unique to their species. This is what makes them rule this planet. To be caring, tending, and being organized in times of crisis. Yes, I have seen animals and other species too care for their loved ones but let me tell you folks — no one beats human. Humans today rule this world because of two fundamental traits that no other species have: they can get organized and the fact that they can be empathetic and supportive beyond their loved ones. Today, as they have a peculiar situation where their classical united we stand, divided we fall, is paraphrased into ‘Social distancing’ — the human civilization is putting its best foot forward to stay united despite being a ‘foot’ apart. They are stepping up to the challenge that I have thrown at them. Truth, Science, and love are replacing hate, superstition, and lies. It’s all happening, the slow and steady pace at a place not very from where I am today — Mumbai! Watch me as I promise to transform and transcend the civilization in the coming weeks. I am loving the smiles I am bringing in families where a young daughter is hoping in the lap of Dad who is teaching his son a game of monopoly, an elderly couple sits quietly in the balcony sipping the tea as they hear the chirping of their favorite bird
The Road and the Times Ahead: Before I came, the humans stood divided by their race, religion, language, political ideology, and man-made borders. They cocooned themselves in a narrow-minded vision in the communist closed China to Capitalist open America, Fashionable Milan to chalta hai aamchi Mumbai. I am forcing them to reset their clocks and their cell phones and making them stay united by fear of disease and death, by the hope of health and happiness that science offers and the resurgence of the empathy that humanity had for each of us and the species that coexist with us in your pale blue dot home — earth.
My message to the human race: You only have one earth, Nurture it, treasure it, share it. Remember that the best things in this world are free in sense and sensibility and war and peace, I will leave soon and I will see you not very soon, I also hope and wish that none of my cousins visit you soon ;-)
May the force be with you! Stay Blessed!
Together You Shall Overcome…
(with inputs from Frienemy Vaibhav Bagaria & my friends for ET1 )
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Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
