Writing-prompt | Covid-19
My Silver Lining In The Current Pandemic
Being Thankful For Being
Sherry McGuinn launched an interesting writing prompt earlier this week. She addressed the silver linings surrounding and entangling our lives in the current pandemic caused by Corvid-19, or the “coronavirus”.
Many people have since shared their thoughts on it and I was hesitant to share my own for most of the week. Why?
The rest of the world is currently in lockdown. Quarantine really does mean that they are urged to stay home. I see this news daily. New reports of increasing case numbers. Photos of raided supermarkets and empty shelves. People accusing each other in acts of despiteful racism.
But for me? I live in Japan, where people are relatively calm. No quarantine, no lockdown. Just an urge or advice to stay home if possible. Japanese people have worn face-masks long before the coronavirus became a thing. It’s almost a cultural thing. And by now, some of the most public places are oddly calm and empty.
Few cases have been reported, especially in my place, Okinawa, an island southwest of mainland Japan. The pandemic has been spreading since January, maybe even November last year. But it never really got here. Not on the scale seen elsewhere in the world. For the past three months, we had a total of 5 cases. That’s different from 3,000 and much more, isn’t it?
Now it’s slowly picking up here too. We now have over 30 cases, still very small in comparison. This week, for the first time, we saw supermarkets and convenience stores putting up transparent sheets to protect store clerks against someone sneezing or coughing. Now everyone is wearing masks. But you can still see many people going outside. There’s no six-feet-rule here either.
Supermarkets are still stocked, with two exceptions: Masks and thermometers. These two commodities have run out. People are also picking up sewing machines and fabric because everyone wants to make masks themselves; either for themselves or for profit.
So where are my silver linings?
I think I’ve been trying too hard to focus on anything bad in my life to see a possible silver lining. I think my whole life at this time is a silver lining in this very moment.
I’ve been lucky that my wife (who has asthma) and my daughter are relatively safe for now. We don’t know if it’s just the calm before the storm, but it allows us to prepare more thoroughly.
Social distancing is not really a new concept for Japanese, you know? Sometimes I think they invented it.
But I also worry greatly about my parents back in Germany. My mother is working in a hospital, which according to her has been put under lockdown too. No more visitors. No entry without identification. Guards at the entrance. Sounds surreal. I wish for her to stay healthy and away from harm. But then again, she’s a really tough cookie.
One good point I can bring forth though.
I’ve been working as a freelance writer for 4 years now. Due to the pandemic, most businesses seem to be out of work. Most of my clients too. It’s been quiet over the past two months.
And that is why I have clicked on these old emails from Medium that littered my inbox.
That has led me here, starting to write. And all of a sudden, I met all these amazing people. The past two weeks have been really fun and engaging. I found a reason to not stop writing even in this pandemic.
This might not be a great story on silver linings (let’s admit it, it’s like drywall and offers even less depth) but that’s my current situation.
If you want a funny story on silver linings, I guess you’d have to ask Charles Roast. Your turn, buddy.
Oh, and if you want something really fun to write about, try this next prompt from Sherry McGuinn:
I got tagged too. But let’s face it. If I start talking about my sex-life in a similarly boring way to this article, I might kill your libido. And I don’t want anyone to tell me that my writing was the worst thing since their menopause. 😂
Kevin is an editor and writer for the ILLUMINATION publication. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.