Bridges of Solidarity

There is a lot of space in our environment that permits some of our outdoor engagements.

As kids, we played in these open spaces and had loads of fun, while exploring this infant freedom.

There were no walls around the house in our community then, and one could easily run to drink water from these houses when we're thirsty or run for cover when we felt threatened on those playgrounds. 

The closest barriers we saw then were flower hedges and bamboo or wire mesh fences around people's backyard farms or gardens. There was nothing like these huge concrete walls we now have. 

We have erected more walls around ourselves, which has somehow caged us from really exploring our surroundings. It is as if our enlightenment in this age is equated with the sophistication of these barricades around our houses. Unfortunately, these huge concrete walls around us only reinforce our attempt to be individualistic. 

And the saddest aspect is that we are consciously or unconsciously trapped in these walls. 

We undoubtedly trapped in tall emotional walls, unchanging attitudinal walls, unforgiving walls, materialistic walls, and in walls of selfishness, walls of greed, anger, deceit. We also caught in the walls of mudslinging and selfrighteousness. 

It is true walls are built to secure the space and for security reasons. And it's good to be security conscious. 

Yes! It's legitimate to protect or preserve our privacy. And it's wise to avoid troublesome people because of the pain they might cause us. But it's also important to build bridges with people because we need each other to survive in these unpredictable times. 

In fact, people might disappoint you, people might betray you; some might envy you but it's good to keep an open window in your dealings with people, even as we try to build bridges and maintain them regularly. It's difficult to trust people but it's better to give them the benefit of the doubt that they won't do what you suspect them to be mischievously good at.

In engaging with the present emergency, we face an inadequate menu of attitudes, where there is a denial, and despair, which leads to passivity.

We are aware of the dread, and the desperate attempt to scare ourselves and our leaders into a better response, but there is apparently a promising but desirable option of hope, in a social, political or technological transformation which we should work on.

Beyond the confines of our various walls, there's this bliss in our human solidarity which we must explore and leverage to our advantage.

The alternatives available to us still yokes the possibility of action to the likes and dislikes of our collective action.

So as we navigate our quest for a solution, may we understand that we're dealing with imperfect humanity, and we still need to build bridges in our solidarity to survive.

We should be willing to care more and beat down the fear in our chest. Indeed, whether infected or uninfected we are all affected in a way. And that is the more reason we have to build these bridges of solidarity, while we take personal responsibility for our health. 

Remain blessed as always. 🌸🌞

I wish you well.

©KYB ✍🏿08/07/2020