LETTERS: The pandemic has disrupted people's lives and the economy for nearly two years.
These have made people negative about prospects for the future. There are increasingly more people with negative thoughts than there are people with positive ones.
Most of us do not realise that our lives would be so much better and happier if we can see the brighter side of things. All it would take is to tweak our attitude and view of life.
Let us cherish the blessings and the good things that have come our way.
What are some of these? Take work from home. It was a prerogative of technocrats until now. Today, all have jumped on the bandwagon.
Commuting time has been saved, be it to school or office, offering us more time to do household chores.
Second, the pandemic has transformed us from being digitally challenged to being digitally proficient. We had the will to survive in the digital world imposed by the pandemic.
We became adept at Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams. These have become buzz and household words. Digital communication has boomed, from Zoom, Skype, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon, Lazada and Microsoft to GrabFood.
While youngsters have taken to digitalisation like fish to water, the not-so young have splashed around at the shallow end and soon learnt the art.
Multitasking has become the order of the day. It is no longer the forte of homemakers. Attending a conference call while babysitting or teaching while mopping are the norms.
Dormant talent has surfaced, whether in trying out our vocal cords or in demonstrating the flexibility of our limbs. The end product has found a place on YouTube.
Be it exotic recipes, art and craft work, yoga, meditation, gardening or DIY lessons, one has it all on YouTube. Similarly, Netflix and Amazon Prime have kept the homebound entertained.
Third, we are physically distanced but socially closer. Trans global virtual birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, reunions and gossip sessions with kith and kin and like-minded people have become a daily routine. This has kept us connected and sane.
My wife and I have storytelling and sing-song sessions with our grandkids and babysit across continents.
Virtual sightseeing trips — say, to the Tokyo Olympics, cricket match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and to the Opera House and Sydney Harbour with my near and dear ones — are now possible.
Fourth, road travel has become manageable thanks to movement control orders. Pollution has come down, so have road accidents. Clear blue skies, rainbows and crimson sunsets are no longer a rarity.
Fifth, home food has replaced street food. The pandemic has seen an increase in home cooking of hygienic and healthy food. Tummy upsets have seen a downward trend.
So have waistlines. The pandemic has seen families eating together. It is said that a family that eats together stays together.
Sixth, job opportunities have mushroomed with the deportation of some 20,000 illegal immigrants. Online businesses are flourishing and software development have all offered a multitude of opportunities.
We should, therefore, count our blessings rather than dwell on negativity. Be positive. That way, you will soon see light at the end of the tunnel and start to enjoy life.
Professor Kevin Fernandez
Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times