How to Be “Stuck” as Happily as Possible: Regarding COVID 19

By Seoyeon Y.

“Can't fight this no more, it's just you and me / And there's nothin' I, nothin' I, I can do / I'm stuck with you, stuck with you, stuck with you”

This quote was taken from the lyrics of a song called “Stuck with U”. This song itself was originally created by Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande to raise funds fighting COVID 19. All the profit made from this song is donated to agencies battling with the virus. And I believe this quote perfectly shows how we should react to the virus; to be as free as possible inside the boundaries of rules and the virus. 

Regarding the current situation, people’s insights of the way one should behave differs mainly into two sides. The first takes this circumstance as bright as possible and tries to enjoy their newly reformed lifestyle: like the song. The other stays as conscious as possible and tries to strictly follow the government’s policies. As mentioned formerly in this essay, though one cannot judge the right and wrong from the two, I believe the first is more fit dealing with the status. But, before the start, to clarify some of the confusing points in this piece, first, “willing to enjoy the situation” certainly does not refer to ignoring the government’s policies. The actual definition is quite different: it refers to staying healthy within the status quo. Exercising regularly to develop the immune systems while wearing the masks on firmly the whole time will be the suitable example.

To start, choosing happiness over rules is more efficient in the long term. No one knows when the adversity will stop: researchers merely estimate Corona Virus will evanesce half to a year after the development of the vaccine and even though the majority of the scientists anticipate the vaccine to be created within 1-2 years, many among us may find the limitations of hanging in strictly within the boundaries of the policy even for the period. One may be exhausted, which will be followed by showing one’s white flags in the war, which will spontaneously lead to more deviation regarding COVID 19 enforcements. In fact, for humans, who are naturally social animals, the stage of giving up may even be one of natural side effects caused by relatively small socializing. Interactions with one another is essential: even in the middle of a disaster. Nevertheless, disregarding the social distancing rules which are created to keep our safety is unsound. Therefore, I daresay the healthiest way to stay away from both the pandemic and surrender is trying to relish the status quo as much as possible. 

Next, economic benefits can be generated. Rather than taking the harsh route to avoid every single consumption made outside, making minor consumptions made at convenient stores and other shops may aid the dying economy. Though sizable franchise places activated the delivery service, small sized, town-scale restaurants are finding it hard to even make enough profit to survive. Because minor businesses are financially insufficient to create the delivery service, town-scale shops’ main consumers, residents residing in the town do not expend their money to minor shops, creating massive losses. A research done by the BBC news targeted to quantify the loss made by the small businesses shows that small storekeepers’ monthly profit diminished to less than 60 percent compared to the times before the virus. If people consume food within their residence, (of course, strictly wearing masks, and reducing talks as much as possible) our economy will become sounder and fairer a little by little, step by step. 

Here, if thought reversely, another problem is revealed regarding our economy. The gap between major companies and minor companies is slowly getting wider. As mentioned previously, companies grasping wealth can quickly adapt to the situation and make new, innovative plans, assisted by grand amount of money. On the other hand, shops owned individually by plain citizens, usually structured slovenly, do not have enough power to evade the financial diminution caused by the virus. The vicious cycle will continue endlessly; the poor will lose more and more when the rich will continuingly earn more and more. Like how the chicken lays the egg, and the egg hatches to lay eggs again. Though not even God can put an end to this unhealthy circle, repeated again and again, we can close the vast distance between the weak and the powerful that is parting from each other even as I write.

“If you cannot avoid it, you might as well try and enjoy it.” A very famous saying and I am quite sure most of you, the readers, are familiar with this saying. I believe this quote perfectly shows how one should correspond to the status quo we are facing at the moment. Though we must never lose our consciousness to the virus, we might as well take the situation as one of the experiences in life, and try to reserve our well being and laughter. 

yeoksamtimes@gmail.com

References:

BBCnews.com, Joonangjoins.com