If you are reading this, I hope you and your loved ones are safe and well during these unprecedented times. As for me, I am “okayish” here. And even if you don’t worry about me, but I am sure you do, I still get up every day to give this precious life a chance to make it through these crazy times. The most important thing is that I’m still alive and full of hope.
Times are hard in paradise.
Things are getting worse. Just when the lockdown has been slowly lifted, COVID-19 cases increased to positive five. Just when I thought this quite remote region is immune to this ruthless virus, people start getting infected. It all started when some “locally stranded individuals” returned to Palawan. But I can’t really blame them though, I know the feeling of not being at home with your loved ones. I also want to go home now… if only I can. I just don’t know where it is, yet.
It is even more dangerous to be in Manila where Corona Virus cases continuously increase at an alarming rate. There’s never a time that I don’t think about my family and friends over there. I just know that the universe will take care of them just as it takes care of me. It can be painfully hard to live my life in extreme isolation and be far away from those that truly matter to me.
There’s no sit-back-and-relax here as if watching the whole world in 2020 directed by Tarantino. We are all worried, even though if you look around, it doesn’t seem like it. As it turns out, life goes on for everybody. Some people have returned to work amidst the danger of being outside. Some have found other ways to make money. Some establishments are already open to the public but with restrictions. Locals can start traveling and go back to their respective hometowns. We are under the illusion that things are getting back to “normal”.
But what is normal these days? Maybe this is just the new abnormal.
People have to risk going outside to make a living probably after realizing that the government cannot sustain our needs. I’ve seen a lot of those who fight to have that government support or stimulus check if that’s what you call it. Unfortunately, not everyone was able to receive it – including yours truly. So Me, and the rest of those who are like Me were all left to fend for ourselves during this global pandemic. I don’t want to waste my energy demanding for support as I don’t qualify as significant or poor enough to receive help. At least that’s what they thought. Maybe because I am still single and don’t have 10 kids. It’s kind of unfair if you come to think of it. Anyway, I realized that we all need to try to become self-sufficient crisis or no crisis. But it is as if the government does not like that kind of power. I learned the hard way that anything, anyone, can be taken away from us. Just like that.
There’s so much angst on social media with regard to the lifting of the lockdown and the recent COVID-19 positive cases. You know how it is in this part of the world, everything takes time. I don’t even trust the test results. In my opinion, it is ineffably reckless to open our community again and embrace this so-called “new normal”.
I’m glued to my screen these days as there isn’t much any choice. As I browse through my feed, I read this one comment, “Matira Matibay”, which can be translated to “The survival of the fittest.” I think we have already been living the Darwinian world in economic terms long before all this madness began.
Things have not been very well on my end lately due to more than two months of no-work-no-pay and random bouts of loneliness. Aside from the financial uncertainty and perpetual struggle “to get there”, there’s also this looming emptiness. So, to cope, I’ve been blogging a lot these days. This is just one hobby I can afford right now. Scuba diving and traveling are out of the question at this point. Blogging is how I can afford the freedom from the cube and all the drama that revolves around it however tiny money I can make off it. I am staying here in Puerto Princesa for the meantime, finally away from the usual small-town drama of El Nido. Seriously, I’ve never felt this peaceful.
To my dear followers, guests, and friends that I haven’t met yet, I don’t know what you are going through right now, but just hang in there! If you are alone and crave meaningful companionship, you are not alone. You are loved.
Let’s just hope that this pandemic craziness will be all over soon so we can travel to far-flung destinations and be free again.
I’m going to write every week or whenever I can, in case you feel bothered by my strange thoughts that spam your inbox, feel free to unsubscribe – you will regret it though <wink>.
Your comments are welcome.
