Tag: Pandemic

Being Mortal By Atul Gawande

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

A Book that I have been wanting to read for a while. That was written in twenty fourteen And what better than a pandemic to understand from a doctor on why “Being Mortal” is important and how we aren’t ready to face it and it’s consequences and during this time it’s an apt book to read.

Being Mortal is on the subject of “Death” – Yes, It questions why in medical we don’t discuss death as important as a “life” and how should we deal with the topic of death.

And the book questions us with some thought-provoking questions –

  • If independence is what we live for, what can we do when it no longer be sustained?
  • The real Issues with Nursing homes & how they are solving this problem?
  • What exactly is the job of one in the medical field – Only to ensure the health & Survival? Or is it also to teach & look into the well being of one?
  • Is it true – Once someone loses their physical independence – A life worth of freedom is simply not possible?
  • And Scientist advances have turned the process of ageing & dying into medical experiences & why is it medical world prepared for or in today’s context wasn’t prepared for it?

You must surely read this book once not only because of what all it makes us question. But because a Doctor himself has shared his thoughts & Experiences on how unprepared we are to face Reality.

This is a slightly Emotional, Dull and emphatic read. But A Must Read

LOCKDOWN. DOWN UNDER HOUSE ARREST!!

Lockdown has made me realise, how much I am used to being by myself. 

And how much, I enjoy it too. 

Spending time exercising, reading books and watching movies,

Without having to unnecessary stare at my phone, when you around people as the interaction is hardly there. 

I also observed, that how we humans have lost interacting with one another when we are face to face.  Your presence is on only felt when you upload a post on social media – you normally would respond or get a response to. 

But, when you haven’t uploaded anything or don’t have anything to post – there are hardly any conversations taking place.  

Would we be able to rediscover the art of having great conversations post this lockdown? Or will we fall, into our shells now that we have become comfortable with our own company? Or will we be longing to just get out and go back to what was normal before, how we were before lockdown and don’t want to change?  

Will the simple thing that we always took for granted become more meaningful than ever or will they mean something to us? 

 Making your breakfast, Enjoying the Sunrise & Sunsets. Enjoying a home-cooked meal. 

Would the present be our future- Working from our homes, Fewer colleagues in offices? Would retail stores turn into warehouses and just a couple of them would be open as retail stores? And shopping will only be done mostly online Would Salons, only be available through Appointments rather than unnecessary waiting for your turn? Would Schools & Colleges be only online..? Or Will doctors take appointments & meet patients online and only if critically serious (Emergency or have surgery the patient will be required to go to the hospital) Will we see print medium becoming obsolete and only digital magazines, E-Books and E-Newspaper available to read. (This would involve fewer people to print, Fewer people to distribute and reduction in maintenance. Books fewer copies could be printed, Newspaper just a few of them too and magazines can totally go digital.  

Though all these will affect real estate commercial spaces – But, We would require fewer people in offices and hence so many offices wouldn’t be required. That would automatically reduce your overhead expenses and the same could be used in satisfying your employees & profits too. 

But, Most importantly we would require our I.T infrastructure to improve with better internet connectivity around and stronger Mobile communication towers. 

These changes will also affect the automobiles sector – But will keep Air pollution & congestion to a bare minimum, Which has been now with cleaner air & Clearer skies. 

Restaurants & Cafes will be both delivery services & Walk in and going out will be an occasion and be social than ever before. 

Cinema chains could create an app – where they have movies screening with the timing and if there are fewer seats sold for a particular time, that can be replaced by another movie and about *100 tickets per screening should be allowed. So if you have four screens – 250 capacity. 100 people per screening for each film. 

Or they could start with a subscription-based model like the other streaming sites only for films & Movie Festivals. 

Though this will impact the revenues of the films in some ways, anyways filmmaker sells the movie rights to streaming sites & broadcasting channels to premier it. And this way they anyway make money. 

In the future anyways Small budget movies will be released on the OTT Platform and films with cinematic appeal with them will be released at cinema theatres. 

Though with these changes there will be a rise in a lot of unemployment. But we all do have skills that would give us the digital platform to grow and make money – We all would be our own channel of content and earn money too through Monetising your channel. 

These changes will create a new market for other Jobs that you never thought could exist. And at the same time will you be freer.

The Lockdown in some ways has questioned us – Are we humans really moving ahead or are we falling back behind and becoming like the Homo sapiens, we have originated from – Humans who would go hunting, Make food and sleep and repeat and did not have any leisure, luxuries that we humans consider to be “Normal” Like the Internet, Phone and the basics to live our life. Yes, we have come this far! But, how far have we come as individuals, and as people who did not always belong on earth? But, having been ruling ever since we realised we were the who can capitalise here on the earth, Where species moved freely. Who if you have noticed have taken over the streets and the nature once again presently.

Coronavirus #Stayathome

Sitting at home! And staring at the window and at the opposite building ( my neighbours on the other side) who I haven’t met at all are suddenly visible to be. I guess they were hiding all this while! Wait! This is the Lockdown! The Coronavirus lockdown. 
Wait! This is serious. This blog is about whether it’s better to be an adult or a child at this time? 
Think about it. Schools are shut! You are back home not for the summer break you thought that started early. But to be grounded at home alone. I mean totally alone with your parents, grandparents and sibling if you have one. 
Now you would watch T.V all day! But here you are bored to death and don’t know where to begin, Then all you think is Eat.Eat.Eat. Food. Food.Food. 
You don’t have any homework to do but now if you are an adult you are now either working from home or doing “homework”in it’s the most literal way. 
You are all by yourself! You are back home or home and can’t socialise with friends in the evening or go for coffee. At least you would have little patience to deal with the worst-case scenario or the situation we are in. 
But, The kid would be restless, because of energy within him. 
He is all by himself playing catch, catch with a ball against the wall, but still sitting home. 
And considering summer vacations would have begun a little later- Now they have a vacation of 14-15 weeks! That’s crazy! Without doing much all these days! 
So as an adult, you can understand and be patient. As adults, you have Understanding and the control over your emotions rather than a child who would be losing it all.