I still remember the day,two exams were left but suddenly we got a message that the school had closed due to COVID-19. By and by all the offices, shops and public placesclosed. Fear and uncertaintywere arising amongst thepeople and everybody was scared as mankind was fighting an unseen enemy. But it depends on you whether you see the glass as half full or half empty. Amidst this negativity, we can still see a ray of hope.
The most noticeable change was in the environment. Pollution levels began to decrease, there was more fresh air to breathe, the renewable resources had time to renew, the flora and fauna now have a cleaner and better habitat, the rivers and seas are also cleaner. Also due to considerable decrease in pollution levels, the hole in the ozone layer has begun to shrink, it is the smallest since its discovery, in 1982, from 6.3 million Square miles to 3.9 million square miles.
Other noticeable changes are in the work life and attitude of people. Now no waste of time in traffic jams, just get up, get ready and start working. Savings in terms of money,fueland time for the individual and overheads savings for the companies. “Work from Home” is the new normal for all.This has resulted in time affluence for all and a more balanced work life and personal life. Now people have time to explore and pursue their interests andhobbies, sharpen their skills, through videos, online seminars, and classes etc.
Diligent use of technology for the kids lead to uninterrupted academic learning even during such difficult times. There is shift in the attitudes of people from materialistic things and that money can buy you just anything to being back to our roots of love, compassion, care, the cornerstone of Indian culture.People are eating only home cooked food, more aware about the cleanliness and hygiene levels, more health conscious, keeping themselves fit and healthy. But this pandemic also has impact on physical, mental, psychologicaland emotional well-being of humans. To take care of this, people are keeping themselves fit by doing yoga and other forms of online workouts, doing meditation to keep their mind healthy and to be mentally fit. Being in regular touch with our friends and family to take care of their emotional well-being. When we come out of this pandemic by inventing a cure, we will be more prepared and stronger to take on any future pandemic or even solve day-to-day problems. When we would look back at it, we would think of it as a learning period, which taught us many things.