March 2020: A particularly memorable time

March 2020. A step to mark with a white stone. Or black. Or both. A ticket to remember.

It started at the end of 2019. On the other side of the world, almost by a variety of facts: In China, people fell ill after eating pangolin. Or bats. I don't care.

And then, far from us, the virus proved dangerous. And then the Chinese died. And then they were locked in their homes. But it was far from home.

And everything accelerated: no sooner were the first cases announced in Europe than, in a dazzling way, they multiplied in northern Italy, 200km from my home. 

And without having time to find out what was happening to us, we were confined. Or semi-confined. Because in Switzerland, when our Ministers ask us to do something, we trust them. Because they trust us.

Less than a month ago, therefore, we were living our fatherly life. We'd go to work, we'd go out, we'd go for a walk. we partied, carefree and serene. And in a month, we find ourselves teleworking, cloistered at home, without being able (or wanting…) to leave our home, without being able to party with our friends. Culture is at a standstill, schools are deserted, shops are kept to a bare minimum, the most discreet professions are brought to the forefront, billions of people around the world see their habits and daily lives Upset.

The economy is going crazy. Our hospital system is on the verge of breaking up. No one knows if in 2, 10 or 30 days, this system will have held up. The grim count of the dead, the contaminated, the healed, invades all the channels of information.

Everything falls apart. A loss of overall control that no one had seen coming, that no one controls. 

And people are scared. Some more than others. And as the situation is tense, the exacerbated reactions abound: Our social networks become everyone's outlet. Disinformation becomes queen, the search for culprits rages, human stupidity takes to heart-joy. A way for some to be reassured.

A period to mark with a black stone, therefore.

But there is also this "white stone" side: solidarity with our elders, with workers with ungrateful and exposed jobs. Innovative solutions put in place in record time, a huge mountain of goodwill to continue working, teaching, caring, entertaining, living.

When, in a few weeks, or rather a few months, we have overcome this invisible enemy, healed our wounds, and mourned our dead, all that will remain are the positive teachings of this historic moment. It is up to us to come out of this period grown up.

Let's take notes, photos. Let's fill up on memories. Learn. Let's stay, or become humble. 

And your servant writes a blog post on Quelbazar. To mark the occasion. Because this is a period that will mark us all, individually and collectively. So it was worth a ticket. That, too, is a small event.