Unexpected Crisis – Incredible Opportunity
(10 min read)
Winston Churchill is famously quoted to
have said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste”.
Incidentally
quarantine, isolation and staying put at home was a regular event for me after suffering medical adversity at 14 months of age.
It all began at the ID Hospital,[1]
thereafter at home for over six months and continued until I was about 18. In the early years, it hardly mattered; unaware
of all that transpired, being loved and looked after, I was carefree and
oblivious of my environs. Just that a cheerful
and feisty prattler was troubled at the restrictions on movement beside’s her
routine functions. Each passing day became
complicated with the intensification of health issues. Thus staying at home in bed developed into a
regular feature. Whether it was a
surgery to drain unused serum deposits[2]
or simple childhood diseases; every illness I contracted threatened to see me
to my grave. But I survived, each time,
every time.
Accept the Moment
In the given circumstances, during those phases, a 6/4 bed
was what I had to accept and make use of to its fullest. I could be a rebel and resign or be
determined to define.
The
night when our PM announced, “Janta Curfew” and the plan to applaud the front
liners, during my prayer time something prompted me to look for a deeper purpose. I realised we would have no Church that
Sunday. So what? We could pray for protection over these
precious people right from where we were. We did!!
We engaged in prayer for 22 minutes on 22nd March at 22:22 hours.
On
the above day, the best one could do was waiting at the moment. As law-abiding citizens, stay home, respect
authority and the instructions of our PM, applaud the efforts of our front
liners and lastly feel the warmth of divine protection. Acceptance
of the moment and giving it my best
within the confines of an approximately 1200 sqft home was the best I could do.
Recognise
your potential

A
week into the lockdown, I dabbled between choices. Already enrolled in a Masters programme, I
rationalised the plan for further academic courses. I wanted to spend a few light moments,
unwind, and perhaps dedicate time to my post-retirement leisure pursuits. I drew up a list of several comfortable ideas
alongside a few uncharted territories after proper introspection. I logged onto my blog, started six years ago
assisted by my son, Samuel. Glanced
through apologetically; remembering how he encouraged me to begin and the
conversations thereafter. The rest of
the list included studying blogging, crafts, embroidery, knitting, making song
covers and painting; point to be noted, I cannot draw a straight line to save
myself but love playing with colours.
Hence this gallant decision to experiment.
At
first, I was averse to a schedule.
Again!! Oh, come on!! This time is
for looking within, breaking out and just floating into philosophical life
lessons. A week of idealistic lethargy compelled
me to slip back into a routine, albeit kinder on myself and others. The decision was clear, “if I achieve
nothing, acquire no new skill and even stack “my projects” back into their
corners; wiser in recognising myself and kinder in accepting others is definitely
something I want to go out with from this lockdown. That was not negotiable. The crossover had to be different. I am not going back the same.
Curious
learners adopt an unusual approach, they decide to face up with grit and make
the most of a situation, turning it to their advantage. I chose to be curious.
Best
foot forward
As
I was settled into a sound mix of what I wanted to do during this unexpected free period. I cued up my schedule. Two blocks of my day would be devoted to my
blog, painting t-shirts in between and cleaning out “essentials” that were
basically garbage. Finally, I may be
able to part with my uncontested “stasher
of the family” title. I did open my
books a couple of times but like a juvenile student, rushed back to my hobbies;
especially the newfound trials at painting.
Crafts, embroidery, knitting, making song covers with my little one have
kept me excited like a child. All these
years of neglect towards the other side of me came tumbling out of a stuffed
closet. I had to have my heart’s content;
make the best till I can.
Better
not bitter
I learnt coexistence with everything
MEDICAL… doctor’s nurse’s needles and the odour of hospitals. I developed eating disorders with the
antiseptic smells and it made me frail.
I had a damaged liver so most foods did not agree with me. Poisonous cysts erupted all over my body; the
one I got in my eye threatened my sight.
I struggled on a daily basis just to live. My trysts with doctors, healers and all sorts
of people were endless. They made my
parents believe that I would be alright.
Everyone had an opinion on my life, none gave a solution. My treatments were painful but I never complained
or made it difficult for the procedures.
Yes, I cried but I always prayed and smiled through my tears and sobs.[8] My dreams kept shifting, from Doctor to
Professor to Civil Servant to an EA[9]
is where I have reached, I am happy that though my dreams kept changing it could
not alter my enthusiasm for life and living.
Having selected my own agenda, I wanted to cheer
up my little one. Incidentally, the
lockdown hasn’t been a fun extension of term break for children. The given circumstance has distressed them
greatly, I assume far greater than us adults.
It isn’t exciting to miss school any longer; the thought of all the boundaries
once they joined school must be overwhelming. No group huddles, no sharing food, exchanging
stationery or sneaking in treats while the class went on. What would be normal? Unlike us, children are invisibly
apprehensive and tentative. While we
have our ways of de-stressing, in today’s screen-oriented world, children need
to be coached to distract themselves. I
tried different ways; some have been successful, in some I failed. The most fulfilling moment was being asked to
teach her The Merchant of Venice. We
enjoyed a morning of loosely unfolding the plot in a casual storytelling
session. Online classes by the school take care of the academic aspect,
hence my little one and I spend time crafting together, talking about
everything under the sun and getting to know the mundane kitchen activities
that help in rustling up a meal. At
times we play Word Games and Memory Games; also, while I blog, she is happily
maintaining a journal.
There
are considerable benefits a crisis can offer during and after it occurs. Throughout the predicament, one must continually
keep an eye on what will occur when it is over.
Amongst all the moments at this time, it’s the now that counts. I must establish that I can and I will, no
matter what comes. There’s no way to veil
the truth: this is the moment when things need to get done yet this is the time
we slip into an abyss of pity, remorse and fate. During an unexpected crisis, we can discover incredible
opportunities that come with our strength to rise above.
Will
I break under pressure? Will I exploit it to soar above it all? Do I need to make a choice, or the writing is
clear on the wall?
[1] The injection wrongly administered had
partially paralysed
my left ower leg causing deformity and slowed down growth
[7] Spellcheck function on Wordprocessor
[8] As narrated by my mother and grandmother
[9] Executive
Assistant /Administrative Assistant Office Associate in ITC
erstwhile Confidential Secretary
(To be continued - “Unravel Contentment in
Confinement”)
Images: Courtesy
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