True colours
‘Isee your true colours shining through. And that’s why I love you.” Lyrics from Cyndi Lauper’s 1986 hit single, fabulously extrovert woman that she is. There’s nothing like a crisis to bring out the true colours in everybody. As the water level of life begins to subside, we are exposed, we are found out — our essence starts shining through. It’s not always beautiful, as Lauper suggests it could be. It’s always valuable information, but it ain’t always pretty. In this crisis, in this lockdown, you will be found out. Especially if you’re home alone. I know. I am.
I’m increasingly trying to find better things to do than watch the news. The feedback, even if you manage to filter out the fake news, elaborate conspiracies, new songs and endless different empirical projections, is overwhelming. We need to be aware, we need to be compliant, but I’m pretty sure that could be distilled into 15 minutes of verified information, instead of the hours of “your turn – my turn” talk shows we’re being fed.
The systemic and individual weaknesses (and the strengths) in our ecosystem are being exposed.
Anyone can captain a steady ship through calm waters but it takes an experienced sailor to navigate through a rough storm. If the sea is calm, the course known and the journey long, you have time to make mistakes and correct them (a bit like investing), but if it really matters what you’re doing now and what you’ve been responsible for up to now, you can’t bullshit the public anymore.
Power structures built on favour and obligation (instead of competence) will be found out in this storm, and the winds of Covid -19 will blow them away.
We’re finding out who talks the most. We’re finding out who has done the least. If you’re not on top of your subject, the more you say, the more you’ll expose that, and the more often you’ll have to change your mind. Say less, know more.
As I file this column we’re halfway through the 21-day shutdown. I’ve done just about nothing I intended to do. I bought loads of books. What was I thinking?! My buy-to-read ratio of books is already over 3 to 1. The trouble is that I buy books because I’m intrigued by their titles, like Every Time a Friend Succeeds, Something Inside Me Dies: The Life of
Gore Vidal, by Jay Parini. I buy books about things I think I should know, that I ought to read.
I turn 64 the day after you read this (will you still need me, will you still feed me). I should know what I’m really interested in already. My advice — learn more about less.
I’m interacting with business associates, albeit on Zoom. I’ve finally got the tilt of the screen right to present my best face. Ha! Like it or not, if they want to look at you, you have to look at yourself (even if you can get away with pyjama bottoms). It’s pretty invasive, if you let it be — everybody knows you’re home (and, soon enough, the government will know where you are 24/7 if you’re unfortunate enough to test positive and fortunate enough not to be forced to isolate in an institutional facility).
We’re allowed to cram eight or so strangers into a taxi, but you’ll get arrested if you’re caught on a oneon-one consensual visit to your partner — go figure.
This common enemy is cause enough to unite us, but, it seems, sadly, more likely to polarise even further our already vastly unequal society.
What a shame, what a risk. The bullies are out. We hear less of kindness and persuasion than we do of force. The pressure points, the different densities of people, are obvious to us all. We’d better start taking the solution to where it’s needed most, rather than expecting people to stand in queues to get it.
Nonetheless, we also find examples of extraordinary kindness. True colours, shining through. Beyond the medical fraternity (all of them) and the essential service providers, there are people coming out to help, in abundance, for free.
A crisis is never wasted. We will find people out on both sides of this good-bad divide. Make sure that you give more than you take.
Yes, I’m eating more.
Halfway through the shutdown, I’ve done just about nothing I intended to do