Being negative is when all you do is see the bad side of everything. A negative person focuses on what is wrong instead of what is right. This time of pandemic however, being negative is good news. When you are negative from the virus, it is a positive thing. I hope we are all negative in these difficult times.
After 7 weeks of ECQ, people became restless staying at home. People are getting bored with nothing to do but eat and sleep. There are people who are agitated especially when everyone was not given the Social Amelioration Cash Program and they have no choice but eat sardines and instant noodles three times a day. Even when people are negative from the virus, they develop negative attitude due to inactivity and frustration over their inability to do what they normally do.
But let us look at the good side of this pandemic. We now had the time to bond with our children and spouses. We had the time to rest. As for me, it is a welcome respite and at the same time, I did some basic plumbing and tried fixing the leaky faucet my wife had been complaining about for several months now. I did some carpentry. Those handy man tools that some seasoned salesman duped me into buying was finally put to good use.
For us ordinary people, we encountered some English terms we don’t usually read and hear such as lockdown, community quarantine, amelioration, pandemic, etc. it is more likely that we never even bothered to look at the meaning of these words. So, in some instances we misspelled these words where lockdown became “luckdown or lockdon’t”, quarantine became warranty and curfew as “carpio”.
Going back to the good side of the pandemic, I was able to experience the so-called teleconferencing and learned some other conveniences provided by modern technology. In this manner, I can still get in touch with co-workers for some information and updates. More importantly, I got to read some of the books I planned to read soon upon retirement which could probably take more years down the road. For a while, I get to experience the life of a retiree.
If you think about it, this ECQ has brought more positives than negatives. Instead of complaining and whining about anything, let us be thankful that we are negative from the virus. Let us be grateful that we are not exposed to it. Just realize the fact you are in the comfort of your own home while the “frontliners” as well as the so-called “backliners” (farmers, food deliverers, etc) are risking their lives for all of us.
Let us learn to be productive in times like this. Learn some new skill or enhanced the skill or trade you already possess. Try engaging the arts. My kids are doing just that after finishing and submitting their daily online homework from their school. On my part, aside from doing simple carpentry and accomplishing some work-from-home routine, I read and write. I write about anything that comes out of my mind. I make myself busy doing the things I love. The past 7 weeks was never boring as far as I am concerned.
Fifteen days or two weeks more to go before the ECQ will hopefully be lifted but one thing is certain, things will not be back to normal. There will be a new normal after the ECQ. Let us now make the necessary adjustment in our daily routine.
