by Susan Radojevic – Canada
Italy is crowned ‘Country of the Year’. Puglia is the most virtuous of all for the vaccination campaign. The Netherlands enters national lockdown. Citizens of other countries march in bold disobedience, against safety and health restrictions, citing violations of their civil liberties. Dozens of photos on social networks of people sharing their travel plans for Christmas; they embark on international flights and gather in groups without masks, without physical distancing and probably some not vaccinated.
All this while our society closes a second year of life in a pandemic, with a virus as cunning as a fox, extremely insidious and often even deadly. Something that can only be new to the rebels!
And while the so-called ‘skeptical’ gatherings multiply, once again, it’s all a flourish of health and safety protocols to protect them and their loved ones too. To protect even those who believe that the choices are wrong, even those who hide behind self-centeredness, the wrong awareness, above others and their own life.
We are a civilization in a galaxy, which itself is embedded in an infinite universe. There must be civilizations, of another kind and more advanced, out there. It is probable, indeed hopeful. Otherwise, the universe is a lot of wasted space. Don’t you think?
With this in my thoughts, I often ask myself, “What would those civilizations in their galaxies think of us?” Cousins in another galaxy. Perhaps, they would see us as a self-destructive species, with a pending expiration (death) date? Would they think that our obsession with materialism, our greed, our self-centeredness and our lack of empathy towards our species of different color, gender and beliefs, is unintelligent and objectionable? Or they would take a look and say, leave them alone. Eventually, they will destroy themselves!
Then I am reminded of the words and actions of a very wise woman, to push me and guide me towards the light and towards another direction. Towards the thought and belief of a prisoner of hope. So, I dig even deeper and look into my heart, into the most intimate part. The place, the object that our ‘child soul’ associates with the emotion of love.
Love for life. Love for each other. Irrelevant of all the rest, the one manifested and labeled, from our narrow and closed thinking, as “covid19 fatigue”. Basically, an alibi. An excuse that some use to allow themselves to make bad decisions and do bad things.
Love, whether it is fraternal, platonic or romantic is what will save us. What will bring us to the other side of this life. Without it, our civilization is nothing more than a wasteland and arid land.
And then, we have to reflect. Since there are many of us who celebrate the birth of those who gave their life, for each and every one. Because he loved us and loves each of us unconditionally. Even those closed in their own ‘fallacious’ certainties.
After all, there is no doubt: it is better to live in a world with Love than in one full of the aridity of his lack.
* Translation by A. Gelormini
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