#10 Lockdown is a sneak peek into our old age
December 6, 2022•274 words
After staying home for three long weeks, I stepped out of the apartment yesterday. Even though I did nothing except walking a few hundred meters from the apartment, I felt great. I never thought I’d be excited to see food delivery people in bright vests, deserted streets, rusty shop shutters, and stray dogs.
But, the walk was relaxing. I walked to the main road, sat on the pavement, and spent a good amount of time watching vehicles pass under the brightly illuminated luminance of the street lamps.
The lockdown has given me a glimpse of what old age and retirement would look like. You’ll stay home most of the time. You’ll be set to a typical daily routine, you’l long for the social and human connection you once had, and most of all you’ll miss walking.
Legs are our connection to the outside world. The moment we can’t walk, our connection to the external world is severed. You can’t storm out when you’re angry to cool yourself. You can’t enjoy the rain or experience the cold winter morning.
Today, you can get anything delivered to you at your doorstep. You have millions of movies and TV shows to keep you from being bored. But nothing beats a short walk to the store or around the park.
It is a way of connecting ourselves with the world we live in. After all, we are nothing but wanderers who domesticated ourselves.
But, with everything going on, we should face the reality with perseverance. In Rumi’s words,
It’s your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.