Lockdown is a sneak peek into our old age

After staying home for three long weeks, I stepped out of the apartment yesterday. Even though I did nothing except walk 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.

The walk was relaxing. I walked to the main road, sat on the pavement, and spent a good thirty minutes watching vehicles pass under the brightly illuminated streets of Thoraipakkam.

The lockdown has given a glimpse of what old age and retirement would look like for all of us. We’ll stay home most of the time. We’ll be set to a typical daily routine, we’ll long for the social and human connection you once had, and most of all, we’ll miss those long, casual walks.

Legs are our connection to the outside world. The moment we can’t walk, our connection to the external world is severed. We can’t storm out when we’re angry. We can’t enjoy the rain or experience the cold winter morning.

Today, we can get anything delivered to our doorstep. We 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.