The first quarter of 2020 hits hard

Embroidered painting done earlier this year when I was still buoyant with optimism.

The third month of the year comes to an end and it already feels like we are in the fourth quarter. So much has happened since the start of this year and it has left many of us feeling like the breath has been sucked out of our chest. In the news, we keep getting more and more information about the rising number of illnesses and deaths globally that was caused by the Coronavirus or the COVID-19. This is a disease that is no respecter of persons, seizing hold of Presidents (Canada) and Prime Ministers (UK) and even Princes (UK's Prince Charles). The death toll has risen steadily until there is a suppressed hysteria. People are urged to stay at home and in some countries, they are fined if they come outside without permission or for not respecting the designated parameters. People cover their noses with scarves - probably because they could not find any masks to buy. Consignments of masks have disappeared in some countries (Kenya) and while people are clapping for medical staff around the world, they are sometimes quitting saying the danger is too high given the lack of proper protective gear - well really, it is a global scarcity crisis. Many African countries have now enforced lockdowns, though in many instances they seem a bit half-hearted in their approach - except perhaps for India. With their large population, they have a lot to lose. In Switzerland, we are in week three and already, the weariness of spirit is starting to show and people are beginning to rebel more. For one thing, there are more people circulating on the roads, jogging, walking, cycling...anything really not to be stuck at home with four walls for company. We as humans are generally socially evolved creatures. We have been trained to adopt social niceties and graces that have now been eroded or swept away by mistrust and an unvoiced fear. This pandemic has turned into a thief that comes banging at your locked door in the middle of the night threatening death if you don't open but eager to enact swift punishment when you do.