Just like a never-ending nightmare, the Covid-19 pandemic has been front and center in our collective consciousness for more than a year now. This invisible enemy that started in Wuhan, China has claimed millions of lives so far, caused havoc to economies, and made the lives of billions of people, especially the poor and helpless, even more miserable.
As the world’s attention is focused on eliminating Covid and its deadly variants, there is another pandemic that has also been causing much death and misery for several decades now –AIDS caused by the human immunodeficiency virus.
Anyway, this Ibaloy writer doesn’t want to sound like an alarmist but there might be other natural or even man-made pandemics that are still lurking out there that we don’t know of or just not notice. Everything is possible nowadays. The best thing we can do is to be proactive when it comes to our health. Funny thing is, most of us know what we need to do to be healthy but just don’t do it. Include me in this stubborn group. Whether we like it or not, the state of our health depends greatly on the decisions we make on a daily basis. Common sense.
By the way, when this Covid nightmare is over, sooner rather than later, will the island-grabbing bully of Asia be made to pay? Don’t count on it. It seems that only poor and powerless countries, like our political-dynasty ravaged Philippines, are made to answer for any transgression they are deemed to have committed. The rich and mighty, like China, are left alone and unscathed. I could be wrong.
Here’s “The Lesson” by Maya Angelou: “I keep on dying again./ Veins collapse, opening like the/ Small fists of sleeping/ Children./ Memory of old tombs,/ Rotting flesh and worms do/ Not convince me against/ The challenge./ The years/ And cold defeat live deep in/ Lines along my face./ They dull my eyes, yet/ I keep on dying,/ Because I love to live.”
Let’s end with a prayer: “O Thou kind Lord! Unite all. Let the religions agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole Earth as one home. May they all live together in perfect harmony. O thou kind Father, God!
May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ continue to bless and keep us all safe.
