“Love in the time of Cholera”
Please give me the good news of today.
I am very stressed at the moment. Most people following the world situation through the news are. When the health authorities constantly create new and restrictive injunctions, it makes a lot of stress and extra work for many of us. We are also anxious for our loved ones to get the corona flu, not least the old and those who are already seriously ill, regardless of age. Many of us, like me, working in the health care system, are twice as scared of getting sick, and by that unable to help those who need us!
-Borders are closed, the market is plummeting and people are being laid off.
In addition, national boundaries are closed, and many scheduled trips at work or during the holidays must be canceled. On top of all this we have a grave economic side of the pandemic. Airlines are on the brink of bankruptcy, while hotels and the travel industry fear total collapse. An international stock market crash larger than the crackdown in 2008. will cause major losses for those who have invested in funds and shares. I met a lady last day who had lost 2.5 million NOK in a week. She could afford it, she said. Even I lost “only” 100,000. It is much worse for those who have nothing to lose, neither money nor income-generating work.
Nature strikes back on us!
– Hiking with a very old friend.
In the midst of all this hassle and all the worries, I was invited on an afternoon walk or hike with an old friend, in a double sense. He is 83 years old, and much older than me. He walks with fast paces, is very straight in the back, and rather stiff in the upper lip. Originally an English Lord, but that title he has long ago put in a drawer, if not altogether with his manners.
This afternoon he seemed very excited, – unlike me. – I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, he says. – What then, I ask, a little flustered. – Such a virus, my young friend, a tyrant (he suddenly becomes very English, and sees that I frown) – A tyrant that forces us and our modernity to our knees. This sudden stop in everything called air travel, major reductions in oil production and consumption. Dramatic cuts in greenhouse emissions, because of the state of exception.
“What the hell,” I say. – Are you crazy, I cry out. – Many lives can be lost, people can lose their homes. Yes, thousands of people have already died. Jobs are closed down, it’s almost worse than war because we don’t even know where our worst enemy is – In these Corona times even our best friend can be our most dangerous threat!
“It’s possible! We can make it, if we want to, and must! ”
– We already see it now, he says. – The environment is improving, the CO2 concentration has dropped dramatically in the major cities in China and South-Korea. Now , they eventually can see the blue skies again! If we are to save millions of people from losing their lives, yes billions of people from having to flee from human created natural disasters, we must act instantly, like now. If not Europe and other countries will be overcrowded. Then something like this must happen that breaks our fossil-fueled excessive habits!
I’m almost speechless! After a long break where the old man speeds along the path, I reply: – Of course I see your point, but now we have an imminent pandemic danger to fight. After all, we have a little more time to solve the environmental problems, I say and push my friend’s shoulder. He shrugs and shoots his chin forward. Then I grab the moment and take a leap to catch him up.
– Have you become completely numb in your old days, I ask. He pushes me out of balance, with a smile. – No, far from it. Rather the opposite. People like me are extremely vulnerable these days. he says. – I’m one of those that can lose my future.
– But tell me, now he’s pointing at me, -how else then can we save the planet! Now a major change is required immediately. Under normal conditions no politicians will go to elections or rule on such adjustments. This gives us an example of our ability to say stop, only the threat is close enough in time. Knowing this we can save ourselves and the world from something much worse than the corona virus!
– You’re completely hopeless, I say. I emphasize that I am concerned about both this acute crisis and the seemingly more gradual environmental crisis. I also admit that I have seen my old friend as a modern version of the radicals like Lord Plimsoll and Lord Shaftebury, who in each of their own field saved many thousands of seafarers from drowning in overloaded ships, and children from death of pollution in the English mines of the 18th century. (see photo of Shaftesbury above)
– I should really wish it was so,- my friend replied. – My little contribution to British welfare is my rural houses in England, or castles as you call them. They have been donated to the Health Authorities, and two of them have become institutions meant for youth with mental disorders. Otherwise, I’m just an old obsolete snob, free enough to think out of the box, like an artist. A poor philospher stranded in Norway because of love. And regarding love, he adds, – I quoted Gabriel Garcia Marques before we started.
– What the world really needs now is love, and consideration for the other. Not only our closest family and friends! I hope like you, that the pandemic resolves as soon as possible, but above all, I hope that we have learned something even more important from it! I am also the first to say that regarding “Love in the time of the corona”, I also hope we have learned something new about solidarity and care for our fellow human beings, and even the society in this serious crisis!
– Rather sweaty!
I don’t know why I sweated more than usual after this walk with “His Earlier Lordship.” Maybe it came from what he said about the crisis, or perhaps he was just walking too fast for me this afternoon. Worst case, I have already got a tenant from China, who is trying to remodel the whole house.
NB: The photo on the frontpage is no coronavirus, but a big hurricane building up in size and strength, by NASA.
