Everyone is a superhero
In the midst of a pandemic, there’s nothing more natural than looking for a hero that can solve the issue. But isn’t the key for a better world in our hands?
A few days ago, I was driving, in the afternoon, when I realized the car in front of me was zigzagging between the right and the left lanes. The driver was clearly on the phone, I could see her holding a phone. Realizing that she was putting me and others in danger, I did what I thought was the right thing to do: honked to warn her.
Instead of getting off her phone, she decided to stop her car and yell at me for honking! She suddenly stepped on the break just to make me upset, and so I stopped. The result; the truck behind me, yet another distracted driver, hit my car. And do you think the driver stopped to say he was sorry and exchanged insurance information? Not even close. He simply stepped on his gas pedal and drove away. In that moment, I took a deep breath and thought: “Really? Did we turn into this angry, selfish and petty society?”
Moments like these make me feel like we desperately need a hero. Not only because things aren’t any good, but because there are so many questions we need answers for… Was Covid-19 created in a lab? Can we be infected more than once? Should I wash my hands for 17 or 83 seconds? We have been dealing with this disease for months now, and there is still so much we don’t know. More than half of the antibody tests give false results. We still can’t get vaccinated or cured.
And where is that hero? When we are kids, our parents are our role models. As we grow up, we look up to our bosses, politicians, and leaders. We expect these people to guide us through tough times. Our leaders give us hope. Without them, we are lost amidst feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. We feed our fears, depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, it’s getting more and more obvious that, during this pandemic, we are lacking that leadership.
The fact that we are locked up inside, that we are not going out with friends and not seeing our families, is taking a toll on our mental health. During quarantine, we are under tremendous stress, and it’s even worse when we spend more time on social media, where the content is distorted to have a bigger emotional impact and the goal is to get as much attention as possible. Our doom reels are constantly amplifying news about the number of cases or deaths caused by Covid-19.
What we see and read online is causing an irrational fear. A lot of people feel like they’re losing control and try to do whatever they can to feel safer. Even if that means doing something that doesn’t make much sense, like going to a grocery store and buying a whole lot of toilet paper or milk. Others are really scared of dying. Of course no one wants to die. We all have ambitions and goals for our future. However, I wonder if that concern of avoiding risks at any cost is not stopping us from living in the present, living these moments that we should treasure.
Amidst so much disorientation, it’s natural to feel isolated and unsafe. Instead of letting the fear turn us into even more selfish people, this pandemic can be seen as an opportunity to act differently, to express good feelings as well, to get closer to people and reveal our best version.
At the end of the day, I think this is what being a hero means: finding the strength every day to overcome our fears, to have everyone’s benefit in mind, not only our own, to make the right and important decisions, even when they are the hardest ones. In challenging times, we need to be nicer to each other. If everyone is kinder and helpful, we can, finally, create a healthier and happier society. And even live longer: studies have shown that people with a happy social lives live longer than the lonely ones.
During these tough times, we need to spread compassion, empathy and kindness. Remember that these times are hard for everyone. As a Scottish theologian once said: “Be kind”, “We are all fighting a battle no one knows about.” Now is the time to offer care, love and support to our friends, families and everyone around us. Now is the time to make stronger connections.
Stay beautiful
