The War of 2020
In the year of our Lord 2020, the battleground was no longer across a wide and vast battle field. The soldiers did not charge across green meadows of grass and rock, their long swords drawn with their courage charging toward their human enemy. There was no enemy line that stood ready to battle and challenges them in the opposing distance. There was no physical arrows flying through the air, no bullets destined for destruction of the foe. No, the vile weapon is invisible to the challenging solider, like a mist of misery it surrounded and suffocated its victims, many to their death.
Warriors
The warriors of this new age in the War of 2020, had to use their courage on small fields of white. Lying on their backs, on sterile battle beds. Their bodies and immune system were the weapon of destruction for this new unseen enemy.
The courage and the bravery of these battle bed soldiers, is as strong and determined as those hundreds and thousands of soldiers that have died before them, on the battlefields of our history.
The Enemy
The enemy just as vigilant and assiduous as in the past. Although, with this new enemy, it could not be looked in the eye. It attacked in the dark, hidden from sight. Feeding on the blood of life of its challenger, sucking away the oxygen, the breath of life from its weakened opponent. Its name; COVID-19.
The Battle of The War of 2020
2020 has been a year of challenges. Battles against a beast, an unseen beast of destruction that has crippled our world. This battle has created new collaboration, new insight into ourselves, challenging what we thought were our values and beliefs. What we thought were solid understandings of who and what we were. Who are we? Who are you? With vocabulary of words like, lock down, masking, distancing, this new enemy has threatened the very essence of human existence, our connection to one another. No longer can you shake a hand, hug another, stand beside a new colleague or old friend. No this battle demands we distance ourselves from the connection which we have known to be our strength as humans. The connection to one another through touch.
History of Wars
When families watched their sons and daughters leave to go to battle with physical weapons against a seen enemy, there was distancing. In the previous World Wars, family members died alone on battlefields, their families and friends unable to help. They could not be present. In our hospitals and care centres this is now true of COVID-19. When people are asked to mask in the armor of resistance, to don a mask of protection across their face it challenges the freedom of choice, the very quintessence of democracy. But there is no freedom in war.
Weapon of Destruction
With the new weapon of destruction now upon us, the vaccine, we must still continue with our battle gear. There is hope, there always was. Hope does not fade, hope begs to be believed and it is through collaboration and understanding that the vaccine has come into fruition.
Challenges of War
The War of 2020 has challenged us to look at our values and our society. Who are we? What matters to us? Who are we as people? Do you have answers to these questions and more importantly are you content with the answers?
The entire world was put into a moment of reflection and isolation. Time to let go of monetary value and instead, time was created to look at you. Isolation is about reflection a time to see what your world is really about. Take away socializing in person, fake hand shakes, fake smiles and begin to understand true worth. As a society we have often left the battle to the administrators of our countries. To the Presidents, Prime Ministers and Leaders. We thought they had the power of destruction and of prevention.
Nuclear and drone warfare was what we thought threatened us. Then one day, a small hidden enemy surfaced within our air, entering our bodies and one by one, infecting millions across the world. No other battle has impacted the connection of people, challenged the compassion of souls and made people think about who they are in this world and what they value more than the Battle of 2020.
This will not end with the vaccine. Our weakness as a society has been identified and the enemy will strike again. What have we learned? What changes will we make?
Moving Forward
Some recent data that looked at the least and most effective Countries throughout the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealed that those countries that were quick to act, had strong support of their health care systems faired the best. This makes sense. In our past wars, the Countries that were quick to act and supported their defense teams were the most successful in battling against the enemy. We need to rethink the term war and battle. We need to open our minds to battle of 2020 and begin to change our perspective and our approach. There will be more battles fought upon the bedsheets of the dying soldiers. Those who simply took a breath of the air of our world; only to be struck down by a lethal weapon of destruction, dying upon a battlefield that for many, wasn’t even considered to be a battlefield. Our vulnerable need us to see them. It is our vulnerable populations who have fought our war. What did you do to help them?