It has been close to a month since we have all been in complete lock down. Since I have been Quarantining just with my husband in this situation, I can say with full empathy that my heart goes out to all those people who are in similar situation as me. Life in Quarantine has been divided into phases. Phases we did not know existed, phases we did not know will come out of darkness!! FYI — The phases change with the end of every weekend.
Phase 1: The regular routine Phase.
In this phase, the husband & wife go about their regular routine. The planning of lock down is in complete force, stocking up on essentials, work happens on time, healthy meals are getting cooked, focus is on prevention better than cure. Morning showers & timely eating is in play. Trust & faith on the government and higher powers are high. Husband and wife are amicable with each other. This phase lasts for about a week.
Weekend Ends.
Phase 2: Tracking & Conspiracy Phase.
The routine here is compromised a bit. Downloading information from all sources on the increased number of cases in the country & world. Trying to figure out the source of the virus, watching all conspiracy theories, videos, movies related to the current situations. Posting & discussing on social media, watsapp, etc… The cribbing gene of our starts coming into play in the mid of this phase. Work-related cribbing, food related cribbing, cleaning & cooking related cribbing, smaller arguments on what to watch on TV, etc… Thankfully the sanity of Husband & Wife is still intact by the end of the phase.
Weekend Ends.
Phase 3: The Call Center Phase.
This is a phase which we are new to. We in uncharted territory. Neither know how to react to this. It begins with staying up a little late at night & getting up a little later in the day. This phase very quickly progresses to staying up whole night and sleeping the whole day (hence, justified the name of the phase). We begin to think, we have super powers in this phase. An individual who stays up whole night, eats at night, works at night and begins to feel that all their focus & efficiency comes at night, will definitely have the illusion that they possess special powers. It this phase, which brings out the darkness as well. Discussions which were long buried & forgotten are placed on the table. Observations which have been ignored are woken up at wee hours and dragged onto the floor. During this phase, promises break, new promises come to play, deep tucked in emotions are spilled. All in all, madness prevails! And we don’t know what forces have over taken us. We become quarantine zombies. But we survive.
Thankfully, Weekend Ends.
Phase 4: The Self-reflection Phase.
This is an interesting phase. One of the partners, astray from the combine way of thinking. He/She gets in to the mode of ,”what am I doing?”. This question is the beginning of self-reflection of thoughts and activities by him/her. The other partner is still into semi-call center phase. In this entire phase/week, the more evolved partner tries to pull the semi-zombie partner to the other side. The evolved partner is not satisfied with his/her self-reflection only. The lower vibration partner also needs to evolve according to them. This is the phase with most dis-satisfaction, annoyance, least productivity. There is no breathing space in this phase!
Towards the end of this phase, there is hope to be released and venture out again on our own. So, things start to get better, love is starting to come back. Only till the time it is announced that a few more phases are yet to be explored - quarantine is extended!
We do not know what is coming next. Into uncharted territories again. One thing is for sure, the situation is not in our control anymore. We have been running in the Pursuit of Happiness, looking to find it- in eating out, watching movies, shopping, night clubs, drinking, hanging out with friends, more food, vacationing, etc..etc.. We have none of it with us now. With this extension of lock down, are we going to get into the same cycle? Phase 4 of reflection came after 3 weeks being in the mundane, cribbing, carrying, changing schedules, anger, frustration, fear, applying logic. All of it! None of it mattered. We are again holed up in a confined space. Left with no tools. What are we going to do now? What Pursuit are we going to follow now?
One realization during all of this is that the purpose of life is larger than we have ever imagined. Once we do step out of houses, it will be a new world. Can we shed our old patterns and be ready for the new times coming in?
Hope the husband & wife learns this from quarantine.
