COVID-19 has slowed us down, but what’s the rush?

In all fields of work, we are always confronted by the requirement to finish a task set by a deadline. It feels like every day is a rigorous battle with deadlines.

The world is very cruel—it does not care about us, and it teaches us to constantly move because if not, we will be left behind. Every day of my life, I step on the limit of the gas pedal to finish what needs to be done. But what’s with the rush?

The COVID-19 pandemic has made the world move more slowly, for those who are convincingly settled in their plans or dreams. Despite all the liberties we possess, we cannot move forward on what we have set for ourselves due to this pandemic.

However, a person who suffers a quarter-life crisis like me is tortured with many questions about the meaning of life, relationships, career, or basically questions about who I am and what I want. I do not know if this is being selfish or rude, but while many friends in social media immerse themselves in the problems brought about by the pandemic—political, economical, social—here I am busy questioning my essence and existence.

It becomes more of a struggle and a burden because the lockdown literally limits me to move, to search, and thus leads me to think that I am locked down in this phase of my life. I had been so afraid of taking a break and taking a trip even though I enjoyed the rush and the speed of time just passing through. Now, I am anxious that I’ve been given time to pause, and do not know how to use it.

However, in any momentous travel we make, aside from the destination, we create memories during the stopovers. It is in these times that we talk about anything, take pictures, and come to know better our companions on the road. Sometimes, we also sleep. The saying inspired by existentialism is correct: “Life is not a project, it is a process.”

Hayden II B. Gonzales,

Bulala, Camalaniugan, Cagayan