News

From 2023-11-21 to 2023-12-27

The Present of the Future

A Solution... Mutual Aid

What spectacular mutual aid solutions hatched from this event! Examples are sprouting up every day. What before seemed inaccessible is now delivered. The men start holding the doors for ladies again, since we must avoid touching them. This is certainly only a romantic example, nevertheless observed regularly, it is so comforting. Especially since the door is also held for these gentlemen, thanking them, then we hear such words as: It’s nothing, it makes me happy... The unimaginable work of health professionals... I want to mention the magic that it took to create mental health teams. Having worked for 15 years in psychiatry, particularly in hospital psychiatric emergency rooms, and having seen and known that it took at least a few months to get a first appointment, I now learn that the service created for this situation, which has confused many, requires only a few days of waiting. Restaurants are shaping up new menus and services, artistic productions are putting original masterpieces online, neighbors are rethinking their daily lives for mutual help, people are learning to smile with their eyes. People move two meters away at crossroads, with the polite demonstration of understanding. We ask if it goes well, we chat, when we perhaps didn’t do it before. One goes towards an embellished curiosity. What does this person feel? Can I help them if they need it? Even, a good word of hope? Another way of seeing? Sometimes we receive help. Unhoped-for help at a crossroad, prolonged attention, a few words exchanged, fraternal, smiling eyes.

A New Reality

There are anecdotes. In the subway, I tried to lower my mask a little to be able to blow my nose, but it was caught... in a second mask! I had forgotten that I had lowered one and had a second ne. A passenger sitting in front of me started laughing when she saw me struggling. I told her: I had forgotten that I was already wearing one she replied: The other day, I had three!!! Then our little island of strangers began to laugh heartily.

Shared Realities

Then the interactions via the means that technology offers us delightful moments: we see parents, friends, colleagues, often a little excited to be on TV, a charming shivering insecurity. Smiles that are so real and a little disorganized, in total humility. We must remember this dear emotion while it is in its infancy, before it becomes an adult. Let’s still remember what beautiful adults our children make! Let’s imagine what all this easy richness of contacts will develop! Finally, ideas, new approaches and actions towards a more local economy are already germinating. A balm for our planet! For us, better, fresher, more resistant edible products from home. It’s getting organized. Another piece of good news: vaccine production here; an expertise that, without much reasoning, had been put off until later.

That’s the Reality Coming

Of course, all these awakenings of consciousness will not enlighten the entire population, but we can dream that a glow remains in the young minds and that it be for the benefit of our beautiful planet that it will now watch over. It is the present offering us a future in the making.

Natalie Gendron