THE LEARNINGS OF LOCKDOWN

1. As I travelled to New Delhi on the 19th of March from Munnar, little did I know the fate of things to come. Within days, the entire world, reduced to the confines of their homes, understood the ramifications of this pandemic.

2. We tried to be exuberant at first. Enjoying the rest and emptiness, a recluse from the ‘rush hour’ life we were leading! We also tried to humour the situation by passing jokes and creating videos of families dancing and singing together. Well, it was indeed a reunion of families and a rediscovery of what we were really made up of, minus the masks we wear!

3. By the end of the second Month in Lockdown, the atmosphere was that of concerned thoughtfulness as it became evident that Normal wasn’t going to be the same. As the dependence on Online communication became more and more, we also could not help feeling desperate to give a new meaning to each day, rather than wait for the past to return. Because it won’t!

4. I dedicated this period to learning and understanding. I realized the amount of Ignorance we have and how much we can learn, if only we want to. The blessings of Learning, taking a pause, feeling our immediate environment and sensing that we are, but a speck in this vast Universe, were the invaluable lessons we would have never learnt otherwise.

5. We have been reduced in our stature and humbled by the mighty forces of nature. I have no doubt that we will rise from this crisis, but after paying a heavy price. The human species has been reckless in so many ways. We must learn the art of slowing down.

6. Our children, as they watch us respond to this Pandemic, have a tough life ahead. They face the consequences of all our reckless actions, in ways of Joblessness, Physical distancing, diseases and what not! The face of lifestyle will change forever! The reality will hit us hard. We need to be ready now, we need to be brave.

7. If there are any lessons we can learn from this entire episode of Corona Pandemic, then to me they appear as under:
- Do not cover up a disease which is beyond your understanding. It will never stay under covers.
- Remain close to your families, they are the only ones who will stay by your side, when you are stuck by loneliness and disease.
- Do not lose touch with your kid’s education. Many parents have expressed their exasperation in having to teach their children, full time. If only, they would have been more participative in the educational journey of their children, rather than being distant. Empathy for the teachers' job has also arisen. Wonderfully the journey of learning is being shared equally by the learner, teacher and the parent, for the first time since ages.
- Technology is a tool, not a distraction. Use it to stay busy with positive things. We always smirked at youngsters spending so much time on screens. Now we see them doing better than others, simply because they are smarter with these contemporary devices. Technical literacy is one of the most important 21st Century Skills.

8. As Hope keeps us going, we realize that the old has already given way to the new. But we are still blinking and wondering what’s going to happen? No doubt, this unpredictability is scary, but we hope that the world will be prosperous again. Mankind will grow into a new age of post-Corona Culture. We just need the smiles and the chirpings back, in any form it may be!

By: Ms. Pooja Bose
Principal, The High Range School, Munnar