While we jump the pit

Do you remember that movie in which the knight gallops towards the castle just as they are climbing the drawbridge, and his white steed saves the moat with a glorious jump through the air? I also thought I remembered the scene, although when I looked it up on the Internet, I found nothing but a couple of vehicles crossing rivers on hydraulic bridges and the Pink Panther vigorously swimming in the murky waters of the moat where it had just fallen.

In any case, that rider is us. And behind, on the hunt, comes the dreaded coronavirus. At this moment we are suspended in the air, hoping to get to the other side, to that place where life will have returned to what we commonly understand by normality. So what should we do in the meantime while we're up there?

Think of all the things you hope to meet again with in that castle of the future once we have crossed the moat. Then, now, get down to doing what you can to ensure the future existence of all those things.

Health personnel are taken for granted; We should all support them, since we start from the basis that we all want to have a health system when we are in that Castle of the Future. But think: what gave your life meaning when you were healthy, apart from family and friends? Each one has its own lists. Here are some of the points that appear in mine.

Favorite restaurants and cafes. Curiously, we take it for granted that these establishments that bring us so much happiness will always be at our disposal, that we can enter and leave them whenever we feel like it. To help them make the leap, order takeout and buy gift vouchers. There is usually information on the Internet about the type of offers and where to find them.

Your local bookstore. Some have a collection service at the store, others serve at home and others by mail. Try to keep them alive! Within the same sector, publishers and writers would also benefit from helping out, especially those who have had their spring releases canceled. All kinds of resourceful resources are emerging: Twitter launches, podcasts and virtual events of all kinds. You often hear people talk about “the reading community” and “the community of writers”, expressions that are not entirely correct — many groups and entities coexist and not all of them have good relationships — but you can contribute to making them more successful. When I was 25 years old, the Canadian publishing world was such a wasteland that mutual aid between writers and publishers was considered obvious. And we helped each other, the majority, despite the aversion that some of us felt towards some others. (That is also part of what a “community” is. And if you don't ask someone who lives in a provincial city. In emergency situations we support enemies of the house, because, although they may be stupid, they do not stop Be our assholes, right? Get the community spirit back!)

Your trusted newspapers and magazines. Democracy is increasingly under threat, as nothing like a crisis to allow an authoritarian regime to throw civil rights, democratic freedoms and human rights overboard. Part of that tactic is the ever-popular move toward the totalitarian blackout of information and debate. It is essential that the channels of communication remain open and independent. Contribute with your subscription. It supports websites that fight computer hoaxes and other organizations, such as PEN International, that advocate for responsible freedom of expression. Make donations to public radio stations. Provide free advertising by spreading the word through your own social networks. Don't let a virus make us bite our tongues.

Cultural organizations of all kinds. Art allows us to express our humanity, in all its dimensions. Through art, we descend to the depths of our human nature, we rise to heights and we get where we need to go. Theater, music, dance, festivals, museums: everyone has been forced to cancel shows, everyone is suffering. Collaborate with donations, gift vouchers, online payment functions. After all, without an audience there is no art that is worth. And you can be that audience.

Your planet A planet you can inhabit. To put it briefly: if we end the seas, goodbye to our oxygen supply. It has been observed from different media that global emissions and global pollution have actually decreased during this pandemic. Will we live in a different way so that this becomes a reality in the Castle of the Future? Will we source energy and food in a less harmful way? Or will we just go back to what we were before? Choose one or two environmental associations, or more, and make a contribution. It's the moment.

Lastly, don't lose faith. You will save that pit, you can! It is true that we are living in a moment that arouses fear and discomfort. There are people who are dying. People who have not only lost their jobs, but also the feeling of control over their lives, no matter how precarious that control might have been. But if you haven't fallen ill, even if you have young children and feel like your brain has gone on strike, you are indeed a lucky person by comparison. You can enjoy this period, although at a somewhat slower pace than when everything was “normal”. There are many who are now rethinking that rhythm (why was he in such a hurry?) And decide to live differently.

It is the best of times, it is the worst of times. How you live this period will depend, in part, on you. If you're reading this, you're alive, I guess. And if you are not, my surprise will be capital. — eps

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