Every time I wanted to do something out of the daily routine – like spring cleaning...
Opinion
For somebody like me - whose day is always chockablock, and who is perpetually juggling time between office, attending meetings of the various organisations I belong to, doing social work, entertaining, babysitting, and socialising - being told that I cannot step out of the house or meet anyone from outside for an indefinite period should have come like a death knell. Wonders of wonders - it didn’t!
Leaving aside all the health and economic implications of this horrendous virus, if one were to just look at the silver lining on the cloud, one would find that there isn’t just one, but multiple layers of lining in this forced lockdown. As long as we are sensible about not exposing ourselves to this deadly phenomenon, and remain healthy, this forced social isolation could actually be regarded as a God-send!
The way I look at it, this is the time I have always been waiting for! Every time I wanted to do something out of the daily routine – like spring cleaning, catching up with my book that I have been working on for years now, filing papers and putting fresh pics in frames, doing home beauty treatments with all those tons of free gift sachets and samples I have collected over time, not to mention changing the decor of the house – I would say to myself ‘The day I have time, I will definitely do this!’ Well, I have all the time in the world now! With nobody coming over, and with staying put at home all day, I have more uninterrupted time on my hands than I could have ever dreamed possible.
So, my days in Corona lockdown have been busier than ever before. As soon as I get up, I have my whole day planned out before me. Methodically, one by one, I have been attacking every cupboard, every drawer and every shelf in the house to do a thorough examination and cleaning of all that has been accumulating there over the years. Believe me, it is an exhilarating feeling when you finally manage to get rid of stuff that you know you will never use.
And while the house is getting spruced up, I can have oil on my head and put on the deadliest mask without fear of frightening some unexpected visitor! What liberation! And, not only am I accomplishing all the tasks that were always left for later - which is like a dream come true - but we are also spending more time together as a family than we ever have. It’s like back to basics – the way it used to be when we were young! Normally, we would be at work all day, and by the time I would return home, either our married son would have left for some social engagement or the other, or my husband and I would have, with the result that we rarely ate a meal together. Now, not only are we eating both lunch and dinner together as a family, but mercifully, have been coerced to eat home-cooked food instead of ordering in, which the kids were prone to doing. In fact, new recipes are being tried, and everyone is pitching in if not in the kitchen, then with ideas of what to cook. So, it’s home-cooked burgers, pizzas, khowsuay, etc – items that were unthinkable to prepare at home not too long ago – and they are being enjoyed with relish! We recently even made sheermaal at home!
And the most amazing thing is that in these days of social isolation, I find I am more connected with my friends and family all over the world than ever before. Since this is a global issue, and everyone is in the same boat, I am actually being invited to take part virtually in birthday celebrations that are taking place across the globe, since they too are house bound and cannot entertain or dine out! So, for the first time, perhaps in 45 years, I actually attended my brother-in-law’s birthday in Virginia, on Zoom, with my other sister and her husband ‘attending’ from Toronto, and their kids attending from New York! It was a great family get-together and one that would never have taken place had it not been thanks to Corona. I am even getting calls from people I never hear from normally, to check if I am fine, perhaps because they too, now have the time to catch up with folks they normally don’t get the time to call!
And while on the subject of this marvelous technology, Zoom, I must admit that I am using it for more than just partying! I have Zoom meetings with all my office colleagues twice a day every day, except of course, Sundays, and have now started my boot camp on Zoom as well since I can no longer go for the classes physically.
But in spite of the social isolation, the community at large has not been forgotten either. My Rotary club, of which I am the charter and current president, had Zoom meetings to initiate a zakat donation drive so we could distribute rations in those areas where the government and private sector still hadn’t reached. We managed to raise enough funds to donate to 100 families in Orangi Town, and to 250 families living in villages around Makli, following protocols of maintaining distance between each recipient.
So really, one can make the best of a bad bargain, if one only puts their mind to it!
