Strange life, this confinement: everyone talks of how surreal and unnerving it is that there is little sound of vehicles and that the streets are empty. Yet it was not all that long ago that there was too much traffic, the streets were clogged with people and everyone was complaining about too many tourists and overcrowding.
Yet now one hears the bird song and the air is sweet and clean to breath. Silver linings certainly, but all savoured against a backdrop of sobering news as Covid-19 ravages country by country. It seems that nothing is every wholly good nor wholly bad. Maybe that is what makes life endlessly fascinating and ceaselessly challenging.
There are interesting patterns emerging in the day to day electronic exchanges with people. Those who dwell on the serious, the frightening and sobering – the Cassandras. Then there others who share delicious jokes, wonderful clips of music, videos that uplift and delight, all of which one immediately wants to pass on to others, to try and make the day brighter.
There are innumerable people one does not normally touch base with on a regular basis around the world but given these very abnormal circumstances, it seems to be time to link up with others, say that you care about them and wish them health and safety. Important, perhaps, because to me, one of the aspects of the art of living is reaffirming friendship and esteem.
Everyone seems to be going through a period of re-evaluation about priorities in life. Omnipresent is the backdrop of the agonizing choices now having to be made in parts of Europe by the medical profession, just as happened earlier in China, as to who has a chance to live and who will die alone, away even from loved ones. Yet against that knowledge is the astonishment that some people still do not understand the imperative necessity of keeping away from people and staying at home, thereby requiring troops and police to patrol against such eventualities.
At the same time, re-thinking priorities makes one very aware of good fortune – sunshine, clement weather, music floating out of windows, the 8 p.m. collective salute to the medical professionals that rings out around the city (with even the wonderful Cathedral bells joining in the ever-swelling chorus of ships sirens, national anthem, cymbals, whistles and applause). Little things which add up. The feeling of amazement as one realizes, as one claps by oneself in unison with so many unseen neighbours, that at that precise moment, millions of people now throughout Italy, Spain and France are all joining in the same grateful applause.
The list of unexpected graces from this new-found art of living in confinement is endless. Laughs at jokes that one receives on Whatsapp. Impromptu concerts offered to neighbours all over the city. Amusement at the undulating tail and purring tyranny of my cat that thoroughly approves of constant company, and also hopes for yet more meals in the day (in vain!). The sound of bees humming as they pollinate exquisitely scented orange blossom in the sunshine.
Orange Blossom (photograph J. Cook)
The sculptural elegance of calls lilies rising above their lustrous leaves. Jasmine competing in fragrance with the orange blossom, yet also perfuming a blackbird’s huge nest that is well camouflaged in the jasmine climbing up the wall.
Calla Lilies (photograph J. Cook)
Confinement is now in day six, and the days have gone by quickly. My commissioned drawing is slowly coming to an end, and then I can return to doing metalpoints of treasures I have accumulated in my studio. Lots of books still beckon and each of them promises fascination.
Everyone tacitly recognizes that this solitary sojourn is likely to last for some time. But that in turn means more time to refine this new art of living, in a strange interlude in one’s life where time itself seems to have become elastic, hard to measure and more multi-dimensional than usual.