Pandemics

January 17, 2022

 

 

I have been taken over by an idea, one that I find eternally fascinating and clarifying. That idea is that we are in the midst of a great global “coming apart”. The pandemic has shaken us all up, whether we know (and like) it or not. The entire world is attempting to learn how to live well in the midst of a great coming apart. And without realizing that coming apart is affecting everything, we might miss the opportunity to help the cultural shift come together for the good.
As this idea took hold of me, I began to read what I could find about other pandemics humanity has gone through. I stumbled across an article citing Gianna Pomata, a retired professor at the Institute of the History of Medicine, at Johns Hopkins University. She has actually studied pandemics, and points to common attributes of all pandemics which seem to be the shaking up of the way people think, and that there is a new age, or Renaissance, that follows almost all of them. Pomata says that what happens after a pandemic is like a wind, “it’s like fresh air coming in, the fresh air of common sense.”
As I look around and listen these days, I hear people wondering when we will ever get back to ‘normal’. People, myself included, are tired of the Pandemic, tired of all the changes, and frustrated that there appears to be little we can all do about that. And suddenly I am captivated by the question, “What if we could do something about it?”
Thus, my being taken over by an idea began. I could suddenly see that the world was moving much too slowly to accomplish what needs to be done to rebalance humanity and the world. The nature of change that was required for humanity and the world to survive and live well needed to be disrupted quickly so common sense could help us put things back together in a much quicker timeframe.
What else could have caused many large American Auto manufacturers to suddenly announce they would be going to all-electric cars and trucks? What would have had small towns and large cities accommodate the request of restaurants and cafes to set up out-door dining at record pace? Have you noticed how many food sellers are now offering plant-based choices? Even Kentucky Fried Chicken and Chipotle have gotten on board. And the fact that Zoom came into existence the year before the Pandemic is a miracle!
When we look for what is coming together in a way that supports life more fully, we often begin to see the hidden and hopeful new direction. Which helps us relax a bit and come more back into balance, which is what all of life is attempting to do. If you notice other things that have changed so rapidly your head is spinning, let me know. I’ll add it to my collection! And don’t lose hope. Inside of community, humanity can do almost anything.