Why life will never be the same after COVID-19

It is quarantine day number who knows anymore. I live in a 37 square meter apartment in a small town in the South of France. I have been on lockdown for a month and there is still another month ahead… minimum. The small town where I live is so small Uber is not available in the region (yes, it is that small). On a regular non-pandemic day I would must definitely be at the beach. The sun is shinning, it is hot outside and there is really nothing else to do but swim at the crystal-clear blue waters and read under the warm spring sun laying on an old towel by the pebbled beach. But it IS a pandemic day and going out, let alone going to the beach, is far away from the possibilities. You risk a 200 euro fine if you dare step a foot at the beach. But I am lucky. I have a tiny terrace which I share with my quaratine improvised home garden of cooking herbs. Rosemary, thyme, parsley, mint and basil all keep me company in this crowded semi-circle of a terrace. As I walk through to my reading chair, my thighs brush against the olive tree and the “citronier” which is the french word for lemon tree that are clustered at this tiny space. It is April, so of course it is in full blossom and I get some bees as visitors all day, every day. I guess they have not gotten the memo about social distancing because they keep getting uncomfortably close to me. The herb garden is curious to observe, and I have had plenty of time to do that during my reading/tanning sessions at the terrace. The mint has grown without a care in the world while the parsley’s big leaves yellowed and died, but there are some tiny new parsley leaves sprouting at the bottom. The basil looks sad but it is still going strong. It makes me think of me during this pandemic. Sad that the freedom that we once took for granted is gone. Nostalgic that the world we enjoyed will probably never be the same. Gloomy that we caused this upon ourselves, putting the planet aside as a second Not-That-Important matter that came after money. We consumed and bought and changed and grew and updated and threw away without thinking of our planet first. And now that we have time to think. Now that that same mother nature has put us on hold to reflect upon what have we been doing with our lives and for our planet. Now we think of things differently. This pandemic has been called by some “the great equalizer” cause it will infect almost EVERYONE regardless of their power, wealth, religion, political stance, skin color, age or economic status. But not everyone will go through it the same way. It is not equalizing, it is, in my humble opinion, clearly putting in evidence what has been unequal, unfair, unbalanced for so so long. Too long, I am sad to admit. Anyway, here from my tiny terrace, as I take in some sun I can still think that there is hope. Hope that what I say matters. That what Im thinking, someone might be thinking the same. And it is on us to make a difference. Here in my tiny terrace I can close my eyes and hear the birds chim and the bees buzz and the seagulls steal food from the trash. They are oblivious to what has been going on in the world, they might even be grateful for the break we are allowing on their spaces. Here, from my tiny terrace if I close my eyes tight enough and focus really strong I can smell the breeze coming from the ocean, filled with salty scents and a hopeful tomorrow.