18 Months and Counting

It has been over 18 months since the Philippines went under quarantine due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. 18 months of face masks, face shields, social distancing, overrun hospitals, overworked frontliners, online learning, WFH and so on. 18 months of uncertainty and anxiety due to lack of job security, social isolation, possible infection and so on. And what's scary is the fact that there seems to be no end in sight. Until now we still see a rise in COVID-19 pandemic cases daily despite the introduction of vaccines and the ever evolving protocols to be followed.

What are we doing wrong? Who's fault is it? These are the questions we all ask ourselves. It seems that other countries are slowly (albeit a bit of hiccups here and there) going back to normal, and we are still stuck in this never ending cycle of quarantines. The government seems to be unable to execute a protocol that can effectively "contain" the outbreak. Hospitals can't keep up with the steady stream of people to treat, both COVID and non-COVID related. People can't seem to avoid going out due to their jobs or other matters. Not everyone wants to be vaccinated for personal reasons. Many social media posts have caused unnecessary distress due to inaccurate information disseminated to the public.

I think that every Filipino plays a part in what is currently happening to us. And I know I'm a part of this too. Our desire to focus on ourselves, what will benefit and protect us and the people closest to us, has become a detriment rather than a benefit. And no one can say that they are completely innocent. Think about it. Not everyone is upfront about their symptoms for fear of being labelled and judged. At times, people continue to go out despite experiencing symptoms or being exposed to a possible carrier. Not everyone is willing to listen to others who might have sound advice. Thinking that they know better. Not everyone is willing to go out of their way to help others without benefitting themselves. Thinking that they need to focus on themselves first. And I'm sure, like me, you all have reasons that will "justify" your decisions. But is your reasoning really valid? If you hear from someone your reason for justifying your actions, will you agree with them? Or are you a special case? You see, everyone is part of the problem. We can't seem to see beyond the tip of our noses. We are blinded by self-preservation and have lost sight of the value of considering others. How in considering others, we end up protecting ourselves better. Until we start learning to widen our world view, to care for others outside of our immediate circle, then we'll never truly get out of this situation. Or we will, but it will take far longer than it should.

The only thing we can control in this world is ourselves. We can't force the government to make changes we think are right. We can't make people do things that they don't want to do. But we can manage ourselves. We can choose to wear our face masks outside of our homes or when dealing with other people. We can choose to socially distance ourselves and limit going out when necessary. We can choose to get vaccinated if our doctor allows us to. We can choose to not ostracize those who are positive, but instead extend a hand to help them. We can choose to reach out to those who need assistance. We can choose to support local businesses to help boost our economy and to help them financially. We can choose to openly tell people if we're experiencing symptoms and keep ourselves in isolation. We can choose to think about what we're posting or reposting. Taking the time to fact check to avoid misinformation. It starts with a decision and it continues with consistent application. These are the things I've realized in 18 months.

Nothing in this world happens without a reason. Consider every moment as an opportunity to learn. What have you learned from your experience with the pandemic?