Sometimes we can see them sometimes we can’t…
I remember that day when we visited the Marecottes zoo in Switzerland. Two things in particular shocked me.
The first one was that fox, all alone in his cage. The cage was too small for an animal who was so full of life. I could tell he had been running in a circle around the only tree in his small space. He had created a deep trace on the ground. He was running endlessly around and around, obviously having no other choice for exercise than to use that same path if we wanted to run. I felt very sad for him.
The second thing that shocked me, even more, was the Eagle-owl – one of my favourite animals – who was trapped in a cage so tiny that the poor thing could not even open its wings! I was enraged. Imagine being stuck in a place all day and all night where you can’t even stretch your arms out if you wanted to. That was utterly disgusting and I wish I could do something to help him.
Many would agree with me I am sure that these conditions were atrocious and heartless. It is easy to see the cage, its bars and limitations and it is easy to get emotionally affected and want to do something about this.
It is not as easy to recognize cages, walls around us, bars and limitations when they are invisible. The only way we can recognize those invisible walls is when we are directly affected and it impacts our freedom. When the first lockdown was announced in the Spring of 2020, not all countries and not all areas of the world reacted in the same way. Some nations found themselves in strict confinement, having to stay home and others were more laid back. At the time I lived in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia and the lockdown was not as bad for me personally. Sure, going out to buy food was an adventure. I quickly realised that expensive organic shops where the best place to buy groceries as there was hardly anyone shopping in those more expensive places. There were designs on the floor for social distancing and we did not have to wear a mask.
However, once in a while, I preferred to shop at a discount place where you can buy food in bulk. That was another story. I only went twice in the end but those two times I had to queue for nearly two hours before being allowed in the store.
Next to that, my life was not changed much. I was still looking after the three children that I was a carer for and I was still going to hike every weekend in the forest by the two beautiful lakes not far from home. It was fairly easy. I did not mind the city looking deserted, although it did look sad and from a twilight movie.
Now I am in lockdown in France, and I am experiencing what my family experienced this spring.
Even though there are no bars around me, a part of me feels trapped inside invisible walls. I hardly go out and enjoy the sun and fresh air at my window and occasionally in our garden. I hate the feeling of being dictated what to do. Going out? Take your authorisation paper. Entering the city or a store? Put your mask on, sanitize your hands. Need to buy stuff that is considered non-essential? Too bad…
There are no physical walls but the walls on our freedom are definitely there.
The same goes for the feeling I get on the internet. How many frustrations when the program is stuck when you are trying to do something and what you get is a sign on the screen that basically translates “Can’t do that”…
These seem like little details, but it truly feels that bit by bit our freedom of expression, and our sheer creativity is being squashed. One thing that really made me happy though is seeing how the human Spirit was able to flourish under those dire circumstances. The number of videos shared during the first global lockdown was astounding.
How many shared tips on how to survive and pass time? How many danced, sang, played music, shared yoga or fitness exercise online, from their balcony or from the top of their roof for their neighbours? How many checked on their neighbours, called on their family, friends and elderly relative to check how they were holding on and see if they needed any help?That was beautiful. That was a first on the entire planet.
Now that we are being asked to be confined again, it doesn’t feel quite the same though…The first time we were all playing the game for the safety of us all, we all chipped in. It was a concerted effort and we thought we did it for the good cause.
Now it is different. Whereas only a few of us saw through the lies of the pandemic and knew there was something fishy going on right from the start, now the numbers have grown exponentially of people who have woken up and realised that maybe this so-called pandemic doesn’t seem so much like a real pandemic. Many are realising that maybe those restrictions are way overboard.
I have always had faith in humanity for some reason.
I do not give up hope that we will reach a point where enough will wake up, stand up and break through those invisible walls that are robbing us of our freedom and creativity.
Something inside is telling me that it is just a matter of time before the True Human Spirit rebels and cries out and ask for a revolution and their True freedom back…
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