I always had this feeling of invincibility when I was a kid. I’d dream of being a superhero like an X-Men or a famous basketball player like Kobe Bryant.
I’d envision myself crossing people over, breaking ankles, and then rising up for a smooth jump that this nothing but the bottom of the net.
I’d imagine myself shooting fireballs, and throwing lightning bolts, while saving the girl and neutralizing the baddie.
I’d imagine myself to be a superstar, on stage with millions of rabid followers cheering me on as I played the piano or sang to my heart’s content. A wanna-be Backstreet Boy.
I’d envision. I’d imagine. I’d dream of things like this when I was a kid. The concept of death never reached me when I was that age.
I was here to stay. I would leave a legacy that would last forever. Nothing could stop me. I would be unbeatable.
These were things that I’d imagine when I was a little child. And that’s fine. Sometimes children need that time of vision and dream to boost them up to imaginary heights.
It’s just that the older I get, the more vulnerability I see in myself and in the human race. My parents are getting older. The world’s climate is changing at breakneck speed.
And this coronavirus has reminded us that we humans are not invulnerable. Death can come for us at any moment. We are not superheroes that always rise up to beat up the imaginary bad guy for a happy ending in the movie theater.
We are simply human. None of us are here to stay forever. We will get old. Our hair will drop off. And we will eventually perish. For better or worse.
So, it’s important to come to terms with death. The beauty of impermanence. Knowing that we are not the heroes that we are meant to be. That we are simply human.
That can leave a beautiful mark on us, and make us truly live in the present moment. Live for the sake of living. And for the sake of appreciating all those who are still around you.
If we were superheroes, if we were immortal, if we were invulnerable, we will completely destroy this world and then some.
But, the shield of invulnerability has been lifted up and now we see that as human beings we need to truly work together (and afar) to beat this oncoming corona virus.
Pandemics like these are a frank reminder of our fragile nature as human beings. That we are not permanent marks on this world, and that each and everyone of us can come and go just like that.
So, as I write this out in the comfort of my girlfriend’s apartment, I am aware of the impermanence that is my own nature. My own body.
The coronavirus has shone a limelight on the delicacy that is the human body. Thru these trying times, we need to follow the instructions from our governments and stay home, socially distance, and use proper hygiene.
We need to do our part to make sure that our health care system is on and operating at a sustainable level. And we need to come together (not physically) and work towards flattening the curve.
It’s never a better time to read that book. To meditate. To call up your friends and family members. To watch YouTube videos. To listen to some music and relax. Yes relax at home.
As the number of deaths pile up across the world, let it be a lesson that we need to appreciate every moment that we have in life. Cliché or not, it’s what should be done.
Appreciate your family. Appreciate your friends. Appreciate your loved ones. Appreciate your enemies. Appreciate your community.
Appreciate. Appreciate. Appreciate. And then some.
Because none of them will be here to stay. We are all just pop-ups in this grand scale of the universe. Our moments are minuscule compared with the history of the Earth. Our ups and downs are just one in a billion of others.
But that is the greatest gift that we can have. This gift of impermanence. Of a realization that we are not here in this world for long. This gift can help us live our life to the fullest.
To be grateful for what we all have at this moment. And to do our best to give back to this universe which has provided so much for our minds and our bodies. And to just have fun.
At some point, I won’t be here to stay. But until that time comes, I will try my best to appreciate all that has been given to me. Thank you indeed.