5 Things I’ll Actually Miss After Quarantine Ends
We are living in strange times indeed.
Even my grandparents, survivors of the brutal Japanese Occupation of Singapore, have been telling me they have not seen an age like this.
Citizens forced to stay home and avoid human contact. The look of fear hastily and badly hidden behind mask-wearing faces.
These are utterly unprecedented times.
However, it’s not all bad.
It may be a bit callous to say this. There is no question that the coronavirus has been an absolute blight to the world. The economy tanked. Hundreds of thousands have perished, and more are infected.
But it really is not all bad — nothing in life ever is. If there’s one thing I learned in my journey, it’s that silver linings can always be found if we care to look hard enough.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
— Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search For Meaning
There may come a day when we look back on the ‘Great Quarantine of 2020’ with rose-tinted glasses, the same way World War 2 veterans look back on their time spent in combat as “the best time of their lives.”
I look forward to that day.
Here are 5 things I’ll actually miss about lockdown livin’.
No Traffic
There’s something about getting caught in traffic that pisses me off.
Bumper to bumper traffic in a car is bad. Getting caught in a human crowd is many times worse.
Here in Singapore, cars are exorbitantly expensive and public transport is ubiquitous and great. That means most people use the latter. Personally, I used to ride the train for an hour and 15 minutes to work.
There are no seats on-peak hours so I would spend the entire journey standing shoulder to shoulder with strangers, dense as sardines in a can. The commute wore me out as much as the work — sometimes even more so!
Now that we’re in quarantine, I don’t miss that feeling one bit.
More Leisure Time
“You are what you do in your spare time.”
This, alas, is a quote by yours truly.
Most of us have more spare time now than ever. Use it to rest, use it to read, use it to get in the best shape of your life!
But more than anything, use it to hone your passion.
A lot of people think this means working on a side hustle, making a career out of something you love or building a multi-million dollar business.
And if that’s what you’re into— great! I started a business of my own with only $1000 down and I can tell you it’s one of the most fulfiling things I’ve experienced. I’ve also been writing much more prolifically whilst staying home.
However, a common misconception is that you have to monetize your passion for you to be considered “successful” at it. I cannot disagree with that enough!
On the contrary, sometimes making money from what you love can take some joy, some colour, out of it.
Your passions don’t have to have a purpose. It can be a pointless passion.
I’m going to miss having enough spare time to spend on these pointless passions. Playing the piano. Playing video games all night with my sister. Reading fantasy novels that have zero application to real life.
Not everything has to translate to dollar bills or a notch in your belt. It’s okay to have fun, explore and be a kid sometimes.
I’m also going to miss time with my family.
More Time With Family
“Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.” — Anthony Brandt
In Singapore, most young adults stay with their family. Moving out before marriage is rare.
Despite that, we are a nation of workaholics. Getting to actually spend quality time with family is a rarity.
I am no exception.
This quarantine, I am fortunate enough to have been able to see my family day in, day out. We’ve been working out together, eating together, and driving around our neighbourhood randomly with our dog in tow.
Time well spent.
Better Environment
“One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.” — Leo Tolstoy
Humans have taken drastic efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus, and many of these efforts have inadvertently benefited Mother Nature.
The coronavirus pandemic could result in a 5% fall in global carbon emissions, due to a record drop in demand for fossil fuels.
Animals have been thriving.in a quieter world with less pollution and human presence.
Thailand has reported increased sightings of dolphins and reef sharks. Leatherback turtles also laid at least 11 nests since November in the country, the highest in two decades.
Wild creatures such as monkeys and pumas have been sighted more and more in cities. It’s almost as if Mother Nature is reclaiming the land that was once hers.
I know these positive effects are not going to last. Once the quarantine ends, humans will emerge again. Aeroplanes will flood the air, travel and trade will resume, and so will pollution and human-caused climate change.
For now, at least, it has been heartening to know how quickly nature is able to bounce back.
We are but a blip on Earth’s 4.5 billion-year existence. Should a cataclysmic disaster make us go the way of the dinosaurs, nature will find a way. It always has.
And lastly, speaking of disasters…
The Reality Check
“Remember that very little is needed to make a happy life.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
This is one of my favourite quotes of all time. I’ve used it in several of my articles, and it still rings true.
We live in an age of opulence. The most affluent age, some would say, in mankind’s long and storied history. Yet even though we are many times richer and more well-fed, owning far more possessions than our ancient hunter-gatherer ancestors, our happiness levels have not increased by those lofty standards.
In fact, it can be argued that the cave-dwelling hunter-gatherers millennia ago are happier than we are!
The truth is, very little is needed to make a happy life.
Many of us get lost in the sauce — and I’m no exception. We lust after money. Fame. We crave status and praise, and therefore chase lofty dreams — a bigger book deal, an apartment-by-the-sea, a shinier championship belt.
We seek external validation and enslave ourselves willingly to false gods.
There is nothing like a global pandemic to highlight what’s really important.
Enough food to eat and a dry roof over your head. Time with family. Some time for leisure, time to relax, to fritter, to create, to enjoy. To make of what we will.
And a good world for all to live in, human and animal.
That’s enough to make anyone happy, is it not?
Just keep me away from the traffic.
Thanks for reading my story :)
