The show must go on!

The famous show business phrase, “The show must go on” is proving to be true amid the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa. As I read this in the Sandton Chronicle, it hits a chord, life needs to continue. We are alive and we need to continue living in this world. These are difficult times and it is almost impossible not to be overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. I also read the following on a university site: “We need to keep clear heads and firm resolve to weather this storm. We need to take control and invoke that old adage: Keep calm and carry on. Let us work together for the greater good in this time of need.” I have come across numerous messages of encouragement, some funny ones too, like keep calm and carry on at least 2 meters away from each other… I know the purpose of these messages is to inspire and to uplift us in this time, yet I know everything is also easier said than done.

Most days it is impossible to smile. The virus has managed to take our emotions on a rollercoaster ride, and believe me, nothing is fun about it at all. You know that you, your loved ones and your friends can be infected at anytime and this is a reality across the world. You have nowhere to go but to try and keep safe. You realise the deadly virus is getting closer to home. A personal experience – The supermarket where a family member visited the day before suddenly closed because a staff member had been tested positive for the virus. Two weeks pass and we’re all fine, and thankfully we all survived this time around. 

In the interim life goes on. I continued with online applications for a Master of Arts in Psychology. Most universities required certified documentation and a police clearance certificate. For this I had to visit our local police station and on the following day the police station closed. A staff member tested positive for the corona virus. The following two weeks could not pass by quick enough and thankfully I narrowly escape this time too. 

I try to avoid going out at all and stay at home as much as possible. I’m thankful that I can shop online, but unfortunately the renewal of your driver’s license is not possible online. One can only do the  booking online. I cannot escape coming into contact with people. Again, I am hoping that everything will be fine. The rate of infections is getting worse and hitting closer to home. You hear of a friend, teachers and family members testing positive and you pray and hope that they will be okay. 

 My fears increased as my daughter left home to do her required fieldwork at a clinic as a final year student. I felt a bit more at ease when she told me not to worry and promised to take care. This did not last too long because on her second day at the clinic three staff members had tested positive. You try and calm your emotions and weather the storm, but you are further thrown back by shocking news of someone we knew who passed away. The news was shocking because we did not even know that this person was fighting a terrible battle.

A hundred years have passed since the Spanish flue pandemic. As a society, we can only hope that we have learned the great pandemic’s lessons sufficiently well to conquer this pandemic. I firmly believe that we have to keep pushing forward. The show must go on! Even when we are forced back you continue taking that extra step. Let me close with the words from  BamBam, who is part of a group that my daughters stan (support), called Got7: “Okay, I always say ‘YOLO’ (You Only Live Once) and that stuff but for this thing don’t YOLO on it. Wear a masks, wash your hands, don’t touch your eyes, your nose, your lips. Just be careful, alright, and stay clean.”