Priorities in a post-pandemic world

I feel mortal in a way I havent before I reconciled myself to the idea of passing away a few years ago because I suppose that happens to everyone after a certain age This time though it felt more immediate as if those final moments could arrive without warning over a weekendWe have all approached life with COVID19 differently based entirely upon how vulnerable the places we live in have been I am far from a hotspot but the virus is always on my mind when I step out for groceries or enter an elevator Everyone talks about how the world has changed and how everything from eating out to flying will never be the same but I have been thinking a lot about what I want to change for myself if I manage to get through this aliveI sometimes spend my nights in lockdown looking at what friends family members and complete strangers have to say online I have no presence on social media which was a conscious decision made a couple of years ago but those status updates slide into my WhatsApp groups nonetheless reminding me that most of us continue to obsess about the wrong thingsBigotry for instance doesnt seem to have taken a beating I am no longer friends with anyone who expresses hate towards another person based on religious beliefs It hasnt stopped these former friends of mine from continuing their baseless attacks even as the world struggles with bigger crises What does it take I wonder for someone to look inside themselves and question the beliefs they have been indoctrinated with If a pandemic and the risk of death it brings isnt enough to change how we look at human life is there hope for the futureA pandemic didnt stop Indians from attacking poor migrants who had been abandoned by their government and forced to fend for themselves Those who couldnt help or remedy the situation in any way didnt have a problem with blaming those hungry men and women either We have all been exposed to a virus that doesnt discriminate between rich and poor but that didnt erase the disdain we carry within ourselves for anyone who doesnt earn as much money as we doWhat those endless images of Indias poor walking hundreds of kilometres towards uncertain futures at home taught me was how incredibly privileged I am The act of sitting in a safe place staring into a laptop and typing out what I feel is almost one of shame It has made me question everything I thought I wanted to work towardsMany believe we will slip into our old ways the minute a vaccine is found Sceptics say the environmental benefits we have accrued by staying indoors will vanish within months as cars and international travel boost pollution levels again Maybe that will happen Corporate life may change but not in ways significant enough to benefit the vulnerable or correct salary imbalances I hope to be able to focus on myself though and prevent the world from forcing me down a path I no longer wish to travel I also hope my family and friends manage to change how they interact with the world even if the world eventually goes right back to how it was before the virus appearedIndians are often referred to as the most racist people on Earth It is a viable accusation given the prejudices thrust upon us all when we are children and the biases we constantly carry against anyone who doesnt dress like us speak like us eat or pray as we do I hope in a futile childish way that we manage to erase at least a small portion of that hate within us It is in the best interests of our government that we do not because hate leads to votes but a personal attempt to be nicer to everyone we know may count for somethingSomeone I know recently lamented that the India she grew up in no longer existed because the way we once shared each others homes and festivals is no longer permitted We have been actively encouraged to pit ourselves against our neighbours and we alone have the power to remedy that For myself I have decided to focus on things I like rather than the goals my parents set for us A bigger house a better automobile or a higher salary may have been important once It no longer isWhen he isnt ranting about all things Mumbai Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet He tweets lindsaypereiraSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individuals and dont represent those of the paperCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news