How quarantine forces us to be selfless
This is the first time in my life, and many other peoples, that something like this has happened. Being in a new situation and having no control over it can be terrifying, especially when all we can do is listen to advice from the government, even if we think our prime minister is a giant goon. However, being left inside with little to distract my mind, I've been forced to overthink the situation, and reflect on myself and my life. Undoubtedly, this is hard for everyone. But I've come to realise there is a degree of privilege, and some people are in need of help from those who aren't.
In these times, we cannot afford to be selfish. As someone who can be a cynical bastard at times, I understood the selfish intent, because when the government us that our loved ones might die and we can't do anything with our lives anymore, the first thing we think is; how doesn't this effect me? This is why we had such a problem with panic buying. All people think is that they need to buy everything at once. Even if they don't need twelve packs of toilet roll, they'll buy it because if they don't, someone else will. Isn't that the point? Why buy more than you need of something when that means some people won't have a chance to buy any? I ran out of baked beans a long time ago, but I'm too terrified to even go near that section of Co-op in case a mother of three tries to drop kick me for the last tin. We all have the desire to protect ourselves above others, and that's something that is rooted in human nature. On airplanes we're told always put your own mask on because helping anyone else. But we can still look after ourselves without that overlapping with us looking after other people.
I read an article by Megan Mohan about people who are in lockdown with their abuser. There are stories from a woman in India who is stuck with her abusive husband, and also a girl who is forced to stay with her father who physically and sexually abused her. Both stories were like a splash of cold water to the face; I had been mulling over in my mind how hard the lockdown was going to be for me, that I didn't stop to think about people like this, and then I realised how lucky I am. I'm living with three of my best friends, I have a family than can financially support me if need be, and I am 100% safe in my environment. Not everybody has those things to be so lucky for.
I wouldn't consider myself a selfish person regardless, but this realisation led me to feel a great deal of gratitude. Yet, it also made me feel a great deal of anger. Even now there are still people not listening to the advice given; still making unnecessary journeys, still not keeping their distance in social situations, still not washing and sanitising their hands when they can. Thinking about people who are going to suffer greatly from this lockdown: is it really that hard for people who don't have to endure that to just stay inside? The sooner we follow the advice, hopefully, the shorter amount of time we should have to do it for.
I thought I understood how hard quarantine could be because when I get overwhelmed or stressed, I always have things in my life to distract me: I go to work, or to uni, to a friend's house, or just to a cafe or shops. I realised I'd have nothing to distract my mind, and that would be hard. But my problem is internal, and therefore I can control it. There are people like the women in Megan's article that have no control over their situation, and my heart bleeds for them.
If every panic buyer, every person still going outside for no reason, and every person who still isn't taking this seriously took a minute to understand the danger that some people are in, I'd like to think the truth would hit hard. A lot of us are privileged to be safe right now, and all of the time. Those people in danger no longer have the opportunity to just run away, while the rest of us don't even think twice about our right to safety. Everyone has the right to feel safe wherever they are, and all I hope is that those in danger will get the help and support they need, and survive this pandemic.
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