Part 2 - It's here
It has become quiet. There is hardly any street noise anymore; instead, you can hear the birds chirping a symphony. Add to that a blue sky and bright sunshine. At the same time, we wait for the numbers to explode and for the healthcare system, an important organ of society, to collapse. While waiting, we sometimes forget why we are waiting. Why we are working from home and suddenly have time for things we have been putting off all along. Why things are the way they are right now. A few seconds later, we remember the answer: because of the danger.
Some are already calling for restrictions to be eased, while others say it is far too early for that. Freedom of expression is important. Suddenly, many people have something to say, giving the impression that they know things that cannot yet be known. Discussions are important, and even the question "Is the economy more important than human life?" is already up for debate.
This pandemic is a lesson in how to live together better. Now it is up to everyone, each and every individual, to work out a common ground again. Not everyone will implement it, but most will understand it. Hopefully. Society, not only in Germany, has long lacked this common ground. Even if it means restrictions, the goal is to protect as many people as possible until a vaccine is available.
As is so often the case, there is no right or wrong. However, this pandemic has created a common ground that extends beyond Germany's borders to affect the whole of Europe, even the whole world. But it will probably hit the poor countries, the developing countries, the hardest – what will happen to them?
It is an incredible mammoth project. No one was asked if they wanted to participate. But anyone who is part of this society automatically participates. This means the same new situation for everyone. We all have to adapt and, in the best case scenario, we will also learn to take better care of each other again. In a way we haven't done for a long time.
It is in the hands of society. We all have the power to make sure that things turn out better in the end than we thought they would at the beginning. For some, hope and fear are playing ping-pong, which is understandable. But fear limits our perspective, and these days we need to look much further ahead. While some are fighting for their lives, others are trying to save lives. While some are providing care, others are procuring supplies.
The weather is far too beautiful for a time like this, making everything even more surreal. But perhaps the sun simply represents hope. The hope that this is the calm before the storm.[1]does not end in a hurricane.
Together, we are writing history. Every new day is like a new page in this historical story. It is up to each of us to decide how we act and what words will be printed on those pages. We decide whether the history book will give those who come after us hope and faith in solidarity or not.
[1] https://www.welt.de/print/die_welt/article206830997/Spahn-zur-Corona-Lage-Noch-ist-das-die-Ruhe-vor-dem-Sturm.html
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