Spring shines out there, on the streets, forests, beaches, mountains that we miss. The weather is changing to a new season, and us? We are experiencing the imprisonment of social distancing.
On the collapse of our system of absurdity (producing-being busy-consuming) we are facing the unknown. What has happened and why? Could it had been prevented? When do things go back to normal (if they go)? And why should we go back to “normal” at all? Can we, as well as nature, enter another season?
This old system of living can go to hell once and for all if we can embrace this, malgret tout, as a unique opportunity. Of course it’s not an easy transition, it’s creating uncertainty, fear, and killing many of us. Therefore, isn’t it enough reason to make the effort to stop the unhuman “normal” patterns we perform?
At this moment, in the in-betweens, one can see the cracks of this disfunctional system that we have maintained, but also the present fragilities and strengths. This is a place of possibilities, of chances to come. The cultural communities are crowding the net with new generous anti-consumist ideas. The health workers work night and day facing the worse conditions ever. Teachers are finally renovatig their methods. Neighbours give away time and get organized; families find new ways of expressing love. Every day, while death reminds us our stupidities and the unpredictable is our ground, beauty is happening at all levels.
Taking care of oneself, of the loved ones, of the ones that we don’t know but we could love, of “us all”, of the big house we live in, is a general agreement! Finally, a common idea of care, as a commons, is one of our top priorities! Are we going to lose this chance? Now is when all starts, to make an end is to make a beginning, as the male poet said.
In this context of social distance, closing schools, but caring, the people on the teaching field, like me, have been asked to retreat and speed up. All at once. Take your time to make a soft transition, but adapt your courses immediately; be there for the students, but take your time. Correct, because: who’s out there?
Yesterday, 26th of March 2020, we, three teachers had the answer: one out of twenty nine students was out there, on her screen, ready to “be” with us for a catch-up. Today, 27th of March no one was there during the time slots given for tutorials. Not even one student.
Did the students disappear like thin air? We know the answer: they are doing what we should be doing.
Instead of erasing the pressures of time and space, instead of building up a shared responsibility between students and teachers on the management of time, instead of waiting for the moment when the conversation is wanted by all of us, we are behaving stupidly, running after the ideas that we supposedly hate. Let’s wait for them.
What we want to do we have to do it together with the student out there, with the friend, the neighbour, and whoever we encounter in our path. Because we are all witnessing. The social distancing is teaching us that we need each other, that we have to have the right conversations to imagine together a different future. Let’s finally make kin, not only business and babies.