Quarantined Wayfarer

Tag: new normal

We Have Hit the Wall.
The Wailing Wall of Jerusalem, Photo library of TalinMan
Today marks the 588th day of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite having the longest-running lockdown, the Philippines nevertheless garnered the lowest rank at # 121 in the recent Nikkei Asia Recovery Index. Sadly, it seems that we have hit the wall.
For more than 19 months now, this pandemic has reached crisis proportions. Almost everyone is languishing and experiencing “existential burnout.” According to Margaret Wehrenberg in her book “Pandemic Anxiety: Fear, Stress, and Loss in Traumatic Times”, we should not be surprised at all. She said, “A year of uncertainty, of being whipsawed between anxiety and depression, of seeing expert predictions wither away and goalposts shift, has left many people feeling that they are existing in a kind of fog, the world shaded in gray.” Clearly, we have hit the wall.
Disparate Demographic Trends
Interestingly, the pandemic crisis has induced some divergent demographic trends, which are rather surprising. For example, in America, Jonathan Wolfe, an NYT reporter, writes: “Over the last 19 months, an outsized number of Americans have left cities, their marriages, and organized religion. Some have recently tried dumping social media. It seems that many see 2021 as a year to finally leave pre-pandemic lives behind and embrace the idea of a fresh start.”
Moreover, Wolfe remarks, “Perhaps the most pronounced example is what economists are calling “The Great Resignation.” In August, a record 4.3 million Americans left their jobs — the highest number in the two decades the government has been keeping track. Across industries including health care, education, retail, food services, and child care, people are saying goodbye to their employers, sometimes even walking out in the middle of a shift.”
In contrast, however, in the Philippines, many have lost their jobs involuntarily. The jobless are at their wit’s end, scrounging for any means of livelihood to feed their families. Based on a national survey conducted by Social Weather Station, 4.2 million Filipinos experienced hunger in May this year. Sadly, this pandemic has further widened the income gap between the 1st world countries and the rest of the world.
Faith & Hope in Tandem
And yet, amidst the gloomy atmosphere, however, it seems that the whole of humankind is desperately searching deep in their hearts for the meaning of life. Indeed, it’s time to dig into the dusty bin of one’s inner spirit. For some, they would discover new insights from old gospel values and beliefs. For others, they would simply shrug their shoulders in total despondency. Indeed, they have hit the wall.
As a possible remedy, St. Paul in his letter to the Romans provides insightful advice, as follows:
“We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.”
Rom 8:22-25, NAB
Indeed, hope springs eternal. It engenders the human spirit to persevere and endure the pains of this pandemic. We only need to rekindle in our hearts our divine predilection, being the children of God. As St. Paul would put it, “we know that all things work for good for those who love God.”Rom 8:28
The Common Good and Solidarity
Whilst faith and hope may ignite the fire of perseverance and fortitude to forge ahead with optimism, it would be foolhardy to remain ensconced in the comforts of one’s abode. Such a closed-in way of life would eventually succumb to a downward spiral into a counterproductive life, which would ultimately lead to sadness and isolation.
On the contrary, one would need to discern the needs of society and learn to adapt to the dictates of the circumstances. Such an attitude would certainly foster an outward-looking lifestyle. This, in turn, would lend itself to the development of initiatives meant for the common good.
A classic example of this inclusive outlook is the phenomenon of the community pantry, which spread like wildfire nationwide during the height of the first wave of attack of the COVID-19. This was inspired by a simple young lady, Anna “Patreng” Non, who started the first prototype – the Maginhawa Community Pantry. Today, thousands of community pantries nationwide provide food to the hungry.
Finally, whilst the road ahead appears foggy and fraught with uncertainty, it would be worthwhile to keep in mind a maxim composed by St. Josemaria during the Spanish civil war of 1936-39, as follows:
40
“Faith, joy, optimism. But not the folly of closing your eyes to reality.”
St. Josemaria Escriva, the way, 40
TalinMan
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October 25, 2021
Welcoming a Renewed yet Reshaped World Order
College students would dare to jump from the platform in the middle of the Somme river in Amiens, France. Photo library of TalinMan, 2019
The Year 2021 began with an aura of optimism. Thankfully, the dark clouds of fear & anxiety induced by the COVID-19 are slowly being dissipated by news of the government’s vaccination plans. Such glad tidings augur well for better times ahead. Indeed, the situation invites us to prepare for welcoming a renewed yet reshaped world order.
As the new year ushers in, it is worth looking into Point no. 30 of St. Josemaria Escriva’s classic book, The Way.
30
You’re shrewd. But don’t tell me you are young. Youth gives all it can – it gives itself without reserve.
St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way
At first glance, the reader might misread the above-cited point as a rude criticism. However, St. Josemaria simply wants to drive home the importance of reinvigorating one’s youthful spirit. After all, this is one way of renewing one’s internal disposition. With the pandemic having wreaked fear & anxiety amongst the general public, it is highly probable that people have lost their desire for bigger things in life. Hence, to survive this pandemic, it is important to renew and refresh one’s spirit: stay young at heart!
Dream and Your Dreams Will Fall Short
One cannot over-emphasize the need to re-instill a youthful spirit, specially at the beginning of the Year 2021 when the outlook seems brighter. During his life time, St. Josemaria would often say -“Dream and your dreams will fall short.” It is a fitting reminder that one should strive to stay youthful with the daringness to dream big. Otherwise, one could easily succumb to the “virus of indifference” which kills one’s spirit of initiative to look after and care for humankind and God’s creation.
Welcoming a Renewed yet Reshaped World Order: Dream Big
Interestingly, in his latest book, Pope Francis shares the same youthful sentiments exhorting everyone to help renew and reshape the new world order, saying that:
“This is a moment to dream big, to rethink our priorities — what we value, what we want, what we seek — and to commit to act in our daily life on what we have dreamed of.”
Pope Francis, Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future
In essence, Pope Francis is urging people from different races and religions to embrace the spirit of youthfulness in preparing for the new world order. He stated in no uncertain terms: “God asks us to dare to create something new. We cannot return to the false securities of the political and economic systems we had before the crisis. We need economies that give to all access to the fruits of creation, to the basic needs of life: to land, lodging and labor. We need a politics that can integrate and dialogue with the poor, the excluded, and the vulnerable, that gives people a say in the decisions that affect their lives. We need to slow down, take stock, and design better ways of living together on this earth.”¹
Youthfulness Breeds Hope
In his message during the Diocesan World Youth Day 2020, Pope Francis challenged the youth by invoking Christ’s command to the dead son of the widow of Nain, as he said:
“Arise!” is also an invitation to “dream”, to “take a risk”, to be “committed to changing the world, to rekindle your hopes and aspirations, and to contemplate the heavens, the stars and the world around you.”
Pope Francis, WYD 2020, April 5
Clearly, the world needs such youthful spirit to spur us on to a better future. This is the transformative character that Pope Francis longs and prays for, as may be gleaned from the following excerpt from the Apostolic Exhortation, Christus Vivit:
“Young people are not meant to become discouraged; they are meant to dream great things, to seek vast horizons, to aim higher, to take on the world, to accept challenges and to offer the best of themselves to the building of something better. That is why I constantly urge young people not to let themselves be robbed of hope; to each of them I repeat: “Let no one despise your youth” (1 Tim 4:12).
Pope Francis, Post synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Christus Vivit, 15
Fountain of Youth
Finally, in order to forever retain this youthful spirit, it is best to go to Jesus, who is our Lord and master. Pope Francis invites us to reflect on point no. 13 of Christus Vivit, as follows:
13
Jesus, himself eternally young, wants to give us hearts that are ever young. God’s word asks us to “cast out the old leaven that you may be fresh dough” (1 Cor 5:7). Saint Paul invites us to strip ourselves of the “old self” and to put on a “young” self (Col 3:9-10).[1] In explaining what it means to put on that youthfulness “which is being renewed” (v. 10), he mentions “compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving each other if anyone has a complaint against another” (Col 3:12-13). In a word, true youth means having a heart capable of loving, whereas everything that separates us from others makes the soul grow old. And so he concludes: “above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Col 3:14).
Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation, Christus Vivit, 13
TalinMan
¹ Excerpts from his latest book, Pope Francis, Let Us Dream
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January 20, 2021
A New Phoenix Rising
Sunset at Boracay beach, Photo library of TalinMan
Despite the massive socio-economic damages inflicted upon the community of nations by COVID-19, it is notable to see that a new phoenix is rising. We see the emergence of the new class of self-sacrificing people. They are personified by medical professionals and practitioners, teachers, essential goods personnel, utility workers, peace & order forces, etc. These come from the ranks of virtually unknown persons who have come to the fore in response to the needs of their communities. These are the new breed of heroes that will sustain this new phoenix arising.
Is this a sign of brighter and better things to come? The answer lies in the heart of man. For indeed, if the fire of love is burning in one’s heart, then, there is every reason to believe that this new phoenix will continue to rise. Otherwise, if there is no love in one’s heart, then, for sure, it will die soon. Without love, it’s easy to find excuses to avoid doing one’s obligations. In fact, obligations become burdensome and hateful.
Excuses: a Bane to the New Phoenix Rising
As nations grapple with the shape and size of the new phoenix arising, St. Josemaria propounds a simple rule to aid everyone, namely:
Point no. 21
Excuses. You will always find plenty if you want to avoid your obligations. What a profusion of well-thought-out nonsense! Don’t stop to consider it. Dismiss it and do your duty.
St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way
In essence, St. Josemaria’s point no. 21 delivers a piece of a very practical decision-making tool for everyday use. For instance, you may find yourself being presented with an opportunity to serve; but, then, you easily find an excuse to evade it. In such a case, St. Josemaria admonishes us to do the more prudent thing, that is, to take time out to dig deeper into the root of it. Otherwise, one would risk falling habitually into the trap of saying “no” to opportunities for service or self-improvement through the use of convenient excuses.
A Techno-centric World
Interestingly, as the world crosses over to the third decade of the 21^st century, man has seemingly reached the apex of social, political and economic development. We see a modern world largely driven by social media, information technology, and the internet. We have come to realize that the power of dominance rests upon the ubiquity of social media and the advent of artificial intelligence and other hi-tech applications. Truly, these resources have shaped and influenced the modern man’s way of thinking and behavior. Indeed, man has learned to embrace this new lifestyle.
However, just as technology has enhanced man’s productivity; so, too, it has exposed the vulnerabilities of man. The heightened use of social media during the pandemic has sown its unintended consequences, which could prove perilous for man. A case in point: during this COVID19 lockdown, there has been a significant rise in domestic violence, the use of illegal drugs, depression, and other mental illnesses. Sadly, such incidences may be attributed to the excessive use of social media, which is referred to as “screen addiction“. Doomscrolling¹ and doomsurfing² have dominated the waking hours of modern man, rendering man’s ability to step back and reflect inutile.
21^st Century: The Golden Age for Man
Moreover, the meteoric rise of technology and social media has unleashed myriads of data in the cyberworld, virtually empowering every man on the street with access to resources for knowledge and development. We are now seeing the golden age of man to have the wherewithdal to develop himself to the fullest. Lest one decides to remain stuck, foolish and idle, there is no more room for excuses anymore. Thankfully, today we are witnessing an era wherein the erstwhile great barrier between the haves and the have-nots has been virtually obliterated.
In closing, man has been gifted by God with the treasure, that is, freedom. Every day, we have the golden opportunity to choose between what is good or not. It is, therefore, incumbent upon each one of us to exercise our individual right to use our freedom wisely. I would dare say that there is no more room for excuses. Junk excuses and just do it!
TalinMan
¹ “an excessive amount of screen time devoted to the absorption of dystopian news.”-Mark Barabak, the Los Angeles Times
² ibid.
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September 20, 2020
Making Sense of the Future
Source: PickPik
Today, the 1st of May, 2020, is day 47 of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). Many business establishments continue to remain closed. There is still no sign of victory versus the COVID-19. Given the rising death toll, many are paralysed in making sense of the future.
Need to Adapt to the New Normal
Meanwhile, as the country prepares for the easing of the lockdown, the lives of approximately 29 million workers* are in grave danger. Aside from health risks, these people are prone to suffer from the risks of unemployment or wage reduction. This is largely because of substantial financial losses incurred due to the stoppage of businesses during the lockdown period. Moreover, in the absence of a known cure or a vaccine against COVID-19, many small and medium size businesses face the risk of closing shop or continuing to operate albeit at drastically reduced levels of operations.. For the next 18-36 months, businesses together with the working class will need to adapt to the new environment in order to survive. Without a doubt, as life after the ECQ will never be the same again., there is a need to adapt to the new normal.
Making Sense of the Future
Interestingly, I came across a relevant article recently published by the Harvard Business Review. In this article, Ms. Sally Maitlis, professor at the University of Oxford’s Said Business School, wrote a very interesting paper on how most people who lose their jobs do manage to create meaningful futures and even feel more fulfilled than they did before.
In sum, my own take of Prof. Maitlis’ insightful research is that, during life-threatening situations such as this pandemic, it is important to consider making sense of the future through the following steps:
1. Tame the emotions. It makes sense to rid the mind of emotional garbage in order to be able to think clearly. According to Prof. Maitlis there are many proven ways of dampening emotional stress i.e. talking to a coach or mentor, doing yoga or taking up physical exercises.
2. Practice Self-Knowledge. Upon controlling the emotions, one should undertake a self -examination of how to solve the existing problem. This is done by arriving at a checklist of one’s strength of character, knowledge & capabilities.
3. Create a New Future. Lastly, one should re-think of new possibilities of how one could use his/her talents and past experiences in rendering work or service within the context of the new normal. The important element here is to simply be open to doing things one has never done before.
Soaring like an Eagle
As a corollary measure to the discerning prescriptions above, I would like to suggest adopting a “can do” attitude during the process of re-thinking how to navigate the future after the ECQ. Point # 7 below gives a frank admonition, as follows:
```
Point # 7     Don't have a "small town"outlook. Enlarge your heart until it becomes universal - "catholic". Don't fly like a barnyard hen when you can soar like an eagle.                                    St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way
```
In weighing the differing scenarios of entering the new environment, one should guard against falling into complacency and small mindedness. This is the defeatist mentality. Such a mentality is tantamount to settling for whatever crumbs are left., being contented with “flying like a barnyard hen”.
On the contrary, one needs to have a winner’s attitude. This is because of the fact that the human intelligence knows no bounds, capable of achieving limitless possibilities. This human outlook of aiming for greater heights will certainly bode well in planning for the future. Hence, by “soaring like an eagle”, one effectively fosters trust and confidence in oneself for the attainment of the greater good.
TalinMan
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May 1, 2020