I thought Anne Atkins’ “Thought for the day” on Radio 4 this morning was very apt. What follows is a crib and rehash of part of what she said. Her starting point was a cartoon she had seen which showed a BA pilot who quipped to a colleague: “We could be zero carbon by this time tomorrow”. Good, Anne argued, can spring from tragedy. We have been forced to do what we have known for years we must. She gave examples of what she meant: C02 levels halved over China, canals running clear in Venice.
She said she was impressed by the indomitable resourcefulness of the human spirit. It wasn’t just the humour in the face of tragedy. It was the way we were adapting to changing circumstances: greater use of skype meetings, home working, remote broadcasting, etc. Creativity was blossoming in new ways: sickness sonatas, quarantine choirs, isolation compositions, balcony entertainers. There was more concern for others in evidence: mass volunteering to work for the health/social services, for example. The kindness of complete strangers was carrying us through.
To put a damper on it: she didn’t mention the downside – the way some people have acted a little selfishly in their shopping, for example. But let’s accentuate the positive: I have bought a webcam and can now skype! Wow!