Hard Times! Covid Times!!

I decided not to write and publish my blog for a few weeks.

I completely understand and appreciate the information overload all of us are going thru, in these tough times.

Covid and related subjects have monopolized conversation and we have tons of mails & messages filling our Phones & In-Box.

There is so much content that is hitting us each minute that by the time you go thru them , the day is over and you are left exhausted.

Covid has locked us all down. And chained us to Whats App !!

For me personally, it is not a big deal.

I have been retired and grounded for 5 years now.      

And the routine has remained the same for me.

The usual morning chores that includes washing clothes and hanging them out to dry in our balcony, 

Helping my dad with his morning routine,

And a quick aarati to the lord and the many God idols and pictures that adorn our puja room and the main hall.

Potting around in my small garden space and my evening walks also remains unchanged.

And the usual early dinner

And the news @ 9 

And watching one or two episodes of Amazon Prime serials also are unhindered.

But something did change!

And it is  upsetting me in a big way.

And it continues to irritate and bug me since India discovered Covid sometime in end Feb this year.

It initially started as a slow steam and rapidly evolved into a massive deluge .

And every time I manage to survive one onslaught and come up for air, I quickly get sucked up & drowned by another huge ‘tornado’ that pulls me down into its vortex.

And I am losing my patience and not sure how many more days can I survive before I do something very drastic ….

Like smashing my phone or drowning it in the water fountain in front of my balcony. 

Maybe you have guessed what is trying to smother me .

It’s the What’s App messages!!!

Everyday morning when I switch on my phone I get greeted by a series of ‘tings’ that can last many seconds.

And I get 100 plus What’s App messages within the first few minutes.

And I am sure you are not surprised by it. Some of you may be getting more too.

We have all got 100 ++ msgs in the past – be it for birthday wishes / Diwali, Christmas & New Year greetings

And when a bright kid  in our  colony tops an exam

And when one of the residents wins a prestigious award.

And when someone gets his PHd.

And when someone does a wonderful service to our community Eg. On one GAIL initiative I counted 67 ‘thank you’ messages before I gave up updating my tally!

And of course the numerous moticons – happy faces, clapping hands, flowers & bouquets, Namastes, Smileys in dark shades and so on.

And I am OK with a single birthday wish triggering a long train of 50+ wishes in various formats.

These are easy to read and quick to delete rapidly.

But when you get 100+ messages each day continuously for 75 days and you have nothing else to do @ home but to read them, then you can lose your mental balance or trip a mental fuse.

Plus each message looks so  important – with captions like ‘Must Read’ & Important & Did you Know  & ‘this will change your life’ & Covid 19 and so on.

And at these times of suspense and crisis, you do not want to miss an important news or advice or a warning .

And you end up opening each and every attachment, every video, listen to every audio  and go thru those long messages and thesis written by Doctors, spiritual leaders and home grown Covid specialists!!

And a small sample of what I get each day is …

15 video forwards. One or two fresh ones. Rest of them - old and repeats. forwarded in duplicates/ triplicates and more.

10 odd jokes. 6 puzzles.

7 songs from vintage / nostalgic Era

6 cartoons

5 news clips on Covid (WION’s Gravitas is a high scorer)

2 msgs from MC with attachments from MHA & BBMP

3 expert comments from Covid specialists’ doctors.

4 great ways to cure Covid thru aurvedic / home made concoctions.

2 videos on fitness @ home. 3 more home videos on what all crazy things one can do at home.

10 repeat videos on how to wear your mask properly.

7 Bollywood stars telling you to be safe and stay at home.

25 great places that you have not heard before

4 updates on Kim Jong Un’s whereabouts

3 vidoes on missing Wuhan doctors

2 Old Ted Talks

A few digital tours of old temples

A dozen jokes and wise cracks on Wife and Husbands and good old whiskey.

4 repeats on 4 groups – the complete collection of TinTin comics.

2 Sadguru lectures, 3 Sri Sri talk and 3 Gopal Das Gaur Gyan on happiness.  

And to top it all, an English quiz by Shashi Tharoor !!

11 good morning messages with butterflies, white swans, blue skies and some GIFs with profound messages like ‘Be happy that you are alive’ and so on.

An odd tutorial on basics of COvID vs SARS.

And topping  all this are a constant stream of  some great original content churned out throughout the day by the considerate folks of Sobha Palladian.

Here is one very small & unemotional example..

It starts with a simple announcement.

‘the fruit vendor will come between 4 and 6 PM today’

And that triggers an avalanche of messages..

Is it safe for him to come inside?

Yes, have instructed him to wear a mask.

How do we pay?

Google pay / PayTM

Can I pay cash?

No.

I am not sure.

I do not have Google Pay

Then use PayTM

Way can’t he take cash???

No reply

He is wearing a mask.

He should take cash if you have the exact amount.

I have bought the fruits – very good quality.

Are they organic?

Where is the fruit vendor? exit gate ??

Between Blocks 2 and 3.

Thanks  + namaste and a few emoticons.

  

And while such conversation continues endlessly, I suddenly see an odd one

Is ACT down?

Yes.

Do you have Airtel BB number?

And

There is a continuous rumbling in Block 2 terrace. Is the pump defective?

Same noise in Block 1 as well.

3^rd  Block lift 2 not working!

Inform security

Call Satish

A picture of poop on green grass

Not done!

Responsible pet parent, pl pickup this dog poop.

Not dog poop. It is cat poop

How can you distinguish?

Followed by war of words on why folks should sign the indemnity clause for allowing maids & drivers.

And followed by 3 sample declarations from other societies

And a trail of discussions on which we must adopt.

And the MC keeps its silence through out this conversation.

And on and on.

And I read a few, skip a few, watch a few videos half way.

Then I lose my patience and go about on a merciless mission and   clear chat on all my 12 odd groups.

And I sit back happy after having accomplished something substantial & wonderful.

But happiness is short lived, folks.

“Its Transient’ said a wise one.

A few more tings and I am back to square one !

Krish..