Value of Freedom! Personally feeling caged...
Right now I am quarantined in an alien country, without any friends and relatives nearby!
This is what I feel like right now! (Image credit)
My wife and I traveled overseas last week. My wife was representing my country in a Masters sports event conducted this week. We spent some lovely time together and were really thrilled to have this little time away from routine.
The tournament went very well and I did very well in my duties as a bag boy, tour manager and cheerleader - All rolled into one!
My wife will be rolling her eyes if she reads this! LOL
This is what my main duty was this week LOL! (Image credit)
No no - I was not actually prancing around in tight pink skirts with a blond wig on! Banish the thought. Don't even picture it mentally. It will ruin your Sunday!
What I meant was that I was vociferously cheering for my wife and her team mates. I am told by the team that it gives really good moral support.
Anyway - Further story unfolds....
My wife made it to top 16 teams in the world but lost at that point in a tough, closely contested game. Thereafter, we were to head back now. Today was our return flight.
With this whole COVID menace though, we were asked by the airline to do a PCR test and guess what, my test was negative but my wife tested positive.
So - here we are - Quarantined in two separate rooms. Feeling really miserable. The language is a big challenge. No guidance yet from authorities on what the protocol is. At the moment,
we know nothing about the next steps or timelines!
It is hard to believe that we are in a European country, given the response so far. Well - perhaps the machinery has not swung into motion fully yet due to a weekend. Hopefully, it will by tomorrow. I have faith in that the Government system will work. Is my faith misplaced? What do you think?
In the meanwhile though - I am feeling very depressed. My freedom to move around curtailed!
'The sound of Silence' around me is deafening!
Now I know what Simon-Garfunkel meant in that song -
Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
I have all the material comforts. A nice bed, warm room, food..
However, as you all know, I like to be out in the open and close to nature. Therefore, I am very very uncomfortable.
Why? Why ? Why? Certainly not because my wife or I were careless. We followed ALL the regulations and took all the recommended precautions. We took vaccines, made ourselves faceless with masks, washed hands so frequently that they felt raw ...
Do we appreciate losing ourselves behind masks? (Image credit)
ALL for the sake of protecting ourselves and others. However, were others as careful about protecting us and themselves?
I am, therefore, paying the cost of carelessness by others!
I am a caged animal!
I also have started to realize what it is to loose freedom. Irrespective of whether we are humans, animals or reptiles - FREEDOM is the highest need.
I often reflect upon Maslow's hierarchy of needs. I have found it to be very logical in the past. It has helped me decipher human behavior on many occasions over the years. I also, always believed that lofty thoughts like Freedom were never on priority on an empty stomach.
Today, however, I feel differently. With my personal experience, I think the hierarchy of need should look like this -
The nay-sayer in me says that I am getting all these thoughts because my belly is full and I have a shelter. If I did not have those, I wouldn't get hyper about Freedom! Well - who knows. I am feeling what I am feeling and it does NOT feel good. That is for sure.
I wish none of you have to face this ordeal.
I will try to post as often and remain positive as is my goal. Please pardon me if I am unable to do so.
Please comment and voice your opinions. It will give me a connect with the outer world and keep up our spirits. Thanks
It is for the social good that you are locked in a cage.
As I Libertarian, I hope that people someday realize that there was some merit to the thing that advocates of liberty said as their voices were systematically banned from the public sphere.
I hope you enjoy your time in quarantine. Here is a cyber beer.
!beer
@yintercept Yes. I realize that it is for social good. I however am troubled by it thats all. So I am just venting but am following all rules and regulations/ Thanks for wishes and the beer. 😀
I hope that people of the future realize that our governments went overboard on this crisis. Unfortunately, the only way we can address the problem today is with cynicism.
Good luck with the rest of your quarantine.
@yintercept True. Thanks. Your concern, connect and wishes are genuinely appreciated.
Ouch that sucks. Same not even to be at home. I hope there is a quick resolution and that you both continue to do ok
@meesterboom Thank you so much. Your comment helps to boost up morale. Hopefully the ordeal will be over soon.
That sucks dude. The worst of it is that you did all you were supposed to do and still end up in this mess. We're about to face something similar in Norway on a large scale. We're seeing a lot of hospitalization lately from Covid, pretty much only un-vaccinated people, and society is about to shut back down because the hospitals are filled to the brim. If we don't shut down and infection rates go down people won't be able to get the help they need. Again, people who have done everything (me) will suffer because some people won't get the vaccine.
I hope you can find some joy in the darkness at the least. Keep us posted!
@pusen Thank you so much for your response and kind words. Great morale booster for me. I am sad to read about the issue your people are facing in Norway. It sucks that the system is getting overburdened and mostly because of un-vaccinated people.
I do understand the feeling people have that they should not be forced to vaccinate - I would never advocate loss of freedom of choice in general. However, if there is very little downside and a lot of collective UPSIDE, then I feel that we need to support such an action. Therefore, I got myself vaccinated and also my family members. Still got into this situation in spite of all the vaccination etc. but that is besides the point LOL 😋
That must be quite an ordeal I bet to be quarantined. I cannot imagine myself locked up in one room and for that very reason, for one year I did not travel back home to India. Now also I do not intend travelling anywhere for a holiday till this quarantine madness stops. Your wife was positive and you were negative though being together, this also reflects that covid just does not keep spreading out to everyone, it is more about individual's health status that attracts or rejects this virus.
@nainaztengra Thanks. Messages like this from friends is a big morale booster. I am trying to keep morale up for my wife and keep her in good spirits. Am keeping myself engaged in work and some reading on robotics etc. which I have been wanting to do but haven't had time. Am also practicing some macro photography in the room.
We had also avoided travel but since my wife got an opportunity to represent the country in a World level Master's tournament, we had to travel. Can not let the country down.
Cheers. Thanks for dropping by.
True, we always honor our Country's call. Kudos to your wife and you, to take this up in the given situation. With all the things that you are doing, I am sure, time will fly off sooner then you realize.
@nainaztengra Thanks buddy. Your encouraging words always help