Things Fall Apart by Nemi George

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity

...excerpts from a poem by W. B. Yeats

As I read through the above poem, it almost feels it was written this week. Our center is being eroded! In the last few months we have seen unparalleled kindness - people coming together, people helping and standing up for one another as we all waded through the COVID-19 miry clay.

The simple things that make us human, our shared humanity was on display. Our fears, anxiety, uncertainty laced with a healthy dose of resilience and optimism. A determination to succeed against all odds like we have done many times before. That was our center - our common ground, our common stand, our humanity on display for all to see.

But even in the midst of that, we still could see the cracks, the tensions, the 'special interest groups', the tribes - the COVID-19 hoaxers, the COVIDiots, the COVID-19 heroes. Some demanded and exercised their rights to visit loved ones, to go to the beach, to get a haircut and protest; others were determined to give of themselves, in some cases give their very selves to work on the frontline, keep our essential services our emergency rooms open. In the center of all that, lay the basic necessities of life - in this case toilet paper, soap, hand sanitizers and wipes. Amazing isn't it! the things that divide and unite us.

As I look back on the events of the past week, I am less surprised by the comments of various public figures - politicians, celebrities alike as they often blow hot or cold with the passing of time, some lean left and others right, blink and they switch sides. Most are simply human megaphones for whatever special interest groups they represent or the trending societal ill and therefore I am seldom bothered by their outburts or silence.

I am however interested in the 'common man' - yes you and I, all of us. The professionals, the students, the stay at home mums and dads raising the generation of tomorrow. If social media forums offer a tiny peep hole into our minds and deepest thoughts then it is a very dark outlook for mankind.

A very dark world indeed . . .one where almost every post, every opinion not only divides but leads to railing insults and descends into left vs. right wing ideology even among so called professionals we very quickly return to our tribes - divided across political, racial and religious lines. Factual discussions give way to fake news and sound bites. We have so much information available to us - more than any generation before us, but most remain uninformed or choose to keep their circle of information small and biased.

I am sure most would agree in the center we all can come together - share a common love for the simple things of life such as toilet paper, clean water, affordable healthcare, good education, a right to life, electricity, clean city streets clear of drug dealers, criminals, etc. town centers not boarded up because of looters, rioters and others who seek to do us harm.

Those answers do not exist in the left vs. right; the far left vs. far right; the alt. left vs. alt. right or the extreme left vs. the extreme right. These are all man made factions, sects, groups and movements designed to move us farther away from the center where we can focus on the things that unite rather than divide us. One thing is clear in all of this - we can do better as a society. I am reminded of an old hymnal I sang growing up in church.

Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do,

Do not wait to shed your light afar,

To many duties ever near you now be true,

Brighten the corner where you are.

The little things we do will help change the world. Let's do something positive - rise above the 'easy button' hashtags (#MeToo; #BlackLivesMatter; #BlackOutTuesday; #ETC.)

• Follow established safeguards on COVID-19…face masks, social distancing, helping a neighbor with groceries, etc.
• Love, respect another, treat others as you expect to be treated.
• Avoid unhealthy stereotypes - not all cops are racist and evil, not all hooded black kids are criminals, not all white people are privileged and not all protesters are rioters.
• Educate yourself and those around you especially the younger generation on the facts, the truth, on being role models in their sphere of influence.

The world is hurting, we all have a part to play to bring some healing. I hope this helps someone, I hope this heals someone, and most importantly I hope no one chooses to fight over it. It simply isn't worth the time.

Nemi George (retired and hopeful).