The stories that we have loved the most, usually had a protagonist (that most of us can relate to) and an antagonist (that most can loathe). However, what makes those stories interesting is that the protagonist is thrown into nasty situations by the antagonist and many other factors, but in the end the protagonist emerges victorious no matter what the odds.
Any fiction writer
will tell you that it is not easy to write about relatable situations and then
devise near practical reasons leading to a positive outcome. Some time when an
author fails to make the situation less relatable or the redemption less
sincere, those stories fail to impress and are not remembered.
The reason for this
analogy, we are all in a near desperate situation in the story of our lives and
the antagonist is the virus. It has locked us in our houses. It has made us
afraid to meet our friends or go on vacations. It has kept us away from eating
at our favorite food joints. It has forced us to not see our coworkers for
months, same coworkers that we used to meet every day. One wants to change the
situation and then feels helpless. Leading us to a helpless situation and
despair. And this is where my above analogy is relevant.
Desperation is never a good place to lead a worthy story to. We all are authors of our own story. We owe it to ourselves and the others around us that our story is worth telling. When I look at this time from future, I don’t want to be telling that I lost to desperation. My story needs to speak of the situation leading to hopeless helplessness and despair. But also lead the protagonist to overcome and win. I am no immunologist or virologist so I don’t know how the bigger things will play in months to come. But I know I am going to be ready when the day this virus is defeated, and it is time to celebrate.
Ready to celebrate
the return to our normal way of life. Celebrate the lessons that these days of
isolation will leave us with. Celebrate life that teaches not to take anything
for granted and be grateful for everything. Celebrate the roof on my head and
family by my side despite the spread of virus outside. My story is going to be
of triumph and not of desperation. The story will certainly have moments of
despair and annoying helplessness, but that will not be the final chapter of
this saga.
As Tolkien’s famous
line in The Lord of the Rings, trilogy, the two that I love the most. (Watch
them in the movies for the impact). One in the fellowship of the ring by
Gandalf “All we can decide is what to do with time
that come upon us” and 2nd from The Two towers, by Sam “Stories that are worth…because folks in those stories
kept going..”
Especially the 2nd
one, as that talks about what keeps one going during desperate times is what
one is holding on to, and hope for a better, brighter tomorrow is worth holding
on to.
So; when you start feeling desperate just remember, stay strong and hold on to the hope for tomorrow. The experts are keeping the fight on to defeat this antagonist and you the protagonist of your own story must keep your hope up and stay safe and healthy till the other side of this journey is reached. However monotonous, boring, annoying, or frustrating the days appear. However helpless or hopeless the situation looks, desperation is the darkness that just need a sliver of 'deliberate hope' to brighten the mind and defeat the dark.
