An opportunity of four days...

Ever since the complete lockdown was increased from three days to four days we have been shopping non stop. We have almost wiped out the shops bone dry.

Maybe seeing Sur struggle under the rains due to the low pressure has had an impact on us. The cars heading to supermarkets in some areas had been lining up on the roads causing traffic blocks. If one thought it is smarter to shop online now you must have realised this too has been a hassle.

In the midst of the pandemic I had to have a fall and that does not stop me from being part of the group going through the collective anxiety. The one who thought he will wait for the last day, just the day before the full lockdown and let others have their fill, must have questioned why they thought so? Because the shoppers never stopped and the late birds had to visit quite a few shops to complete their shopping lists.

There were some careful shoppers who started as early as 6.30 am to avoid crowds. Shops probably had not thought of stocking either keeping in mind the four-day full closure. Quite a few lessons on economics have been shared on social media along with pictures of empty shelves. The panic buying has made me wonder whether I am missing out on something or not? No bread, no meat, no vegetables and fruits not to forget milk. How much are we going to consume before we can shop on Saturday?

Never mind the shopping spree that have been going on, there have been others who have been dreading the very thought of not having the service of food delivery for four days. We forget it’s not four weeks. We also forget the purpose behind the full lockdown, and we are in the midst of the pandemic and what we are going through are small sacrifices.

Stuck in a room after a fall, yours truly, also has been going through the panic syndrome. Friends have stepped in and is well secured, still seemed to sense the overall panic.

So the next four days we have an opportunity to learn and teach young ones on sustainability and food security. For four days if we were to panic the way we did, imagine what we should be doing to pay our respect to farmers and food producers.

We have an opportunity to spend four days to be spent exclusively with our family members. A break from everything to have conversations and listen to each other intently.

A friend joked that his family has said they will spend each day in each room. Come to think of it we tend to spend majority of the waking hours at our workplaces, so now it is a gift to stay focused and relaxed at home. For all the staff who work in the hospitality industry and never had a proper break unless it is the annual leave, this is a surprise short vacation. Yes well, you might say you cannot go out and enjoy, but this might be just what the universe has ordered.

Of course the next four days stray cats and dogs would be wondering what on earth has happened to human kind, and why are the garbage cans not being filled. And the doves might wonder the same about the feeders. Now the cats have a way to enter house compounds, but the stray dogs might be the ones who might feel left out. Again it is just a question of four days.

Four days to rethink, reshape, revitalise and revive while we try with the intention to break the chain and reduce the number of Covid-19 cases. It might not be what we are used to have for Eid al Adha, but we are in it for a bigger cause than our sentiments and enjoyment.

And if we feel we have got a tough deal, let us remember there will be one group of people who would be continuing to work shifts and that is the healthcare and not to forget the Royal Oman Police.

So here is to a beautiful Eid al Adha filled with special moments. It is up to us to make the complete lockdown creative and remember every time you have anxiety thinking about the closed shops - take a deep breath and forcefully change the thought. Remember other people are just a phone call away and for sure digital platforms will be an extension of family homes and staycations. Eid Mubarak!