MAY 17 — So, literally billions of people have spent weeks locked down. Restricted or entirely forbidden from leaving our homes, life as we know it has been absolutely disrupted and the corners of our homes have become the extent of our physical worlds.
No more nights at the bar, no long walks on the beach, no lunches at the coffee shop or wandering around the mall.
No weddings, concerts, or any other mass gatherings — not even little get-togethers with family.
Locked in as a new and deadly virus rages around us.
Doesn't sound like a lot of fun, does it?
Except millions of us appear to have loved it. People are thrilled to have shaken free of the daily commute, they are thrilled to be spending more quality time with family.
Just about everyone seems to be baking absurdly delicious-looking things and people are losing themselves in the world of Netflix and online games.
If you want exercise, there are yoga and fitness videos. Need to talk to friends — WhatsApp, Skype and Zoom means they are always with you and when you get tired of baking, it is time for Grab food.
Of course, this is life within a bubble and it is principally enjoyed by relatively privileged young adults.
For people who have safe, spacious homes, who aren’t too worried about their immediate finances and have access to technology — lockdown is a whole lot of fun.
If you don’t have young children to look after, even better.
The stresses of the outside world disappear; the urge to get ahead and out-compete your co-workers and competitors is suspended, there's no fear of missing out and no unwanted social obligations.
Everything is predictable and self-contained. Why can’t we all just stay like this forever is a surprisingly common sentiment — but it is wrong.
Basically, people who already live comfortable lives have discovered they can retreat even further into their bubbles.
This is not a good idea.
It caters really to our worst instincts and urges. The outside world is messy, chaotic, and dangerous. There is competition, politics, and all sorts of unwanted obligations. There is also traffic.
But that is where life is lived. While technology now makes it possible for us to spend not just hours but months comfortably in our homes, this is not something we should be aspiring to long term.
As much as it is nice to not have to worry about where your kids are or when your partner will come home, life is about the risks, the adventures and the unwanted responsibilities — in moving outside of your privileged bubble.
Real life is lived outside.
*This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
