Among countless articles of the latest number of cases or furious commentaries debating whether governments around the world are doing enough, there is an unassuming article from the University of Virginia that seem to gain traction, as it made multiple appearances on my social media feed. It is an interview with Professor Herbet “Tico” Braun and why he encourages his students to document their lives during this pandemic.
“Many of us are writing today and producing our work on social media. It is an explosion. You can gather these voices, these experiences, all this creativity. They are all a record of our times. These voices are urgent.”
As a reader of diaries and letters, I do get the value of chronicling the times. I am taken by the idea of belonging to a community. Even though it is undefined and rather amorphous, there is something about writing something that resonates with a complete stranger. But what can I add to the wider record, to be part of this disparate community?
On one hand, I get the sense that people around me have had enough of the doom and gloom. Additionally, I am somewhat sheltered from the brunt of the calamity; detailing my “ways to cope” would come across as insensitive to those who are more adversely affected by the pandemic, medically or otherwise.
On the other, I am not keen on contributing to the junkyard of banality. It is fascinating how posts by some celebrities and “influencers” ring hollow in these times. Posing and preening brings no comfort, while polished endorsements appear farcical.
So what will the timbre of my voice be in this ill-wresting time?
It is for you to judge when we can step out of our houses again.
