IF ONE were a die-hard follower of stoic beliefs, religion or whatnot, you would then know that it was the Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius who had been credited with the maxim: everything one hears is merely an opinion, not a fact, and everything one sees is a perspective, not the truth. For those who still insist on whatever falsehood that is surrounding Covid and the use of vaccines, this might prove to momentarily be swak right into your neighborhood theology.
For these, who still opt to stick it out with their beliefs, only the future can tell what fate awaits them. In the same manner, we might as well ponder how their decision on the whole will affect ours. Despite the availability of both medical and scientific facts, plus seeing others succumbing to the virus, their option to stick to their guns no matter what, smells of something deeper than mere personal choice. If so, there might never be a pause to whatever is facing us. For all we know, it might as well transform into one threat after another, as those with agenda insist on taking advantage of our continued divide.
Through it all however, Marcus Aurelius’ saying could also be interpreted in favor of those who have persevered for almost two years of quarantine plus other sacrifices like loss of employment or even worse, testing positive for Covid or losing someone close.
In all, I’m constantly reminded of the parable about a whole society of frogs living inside in a deep well who have only a wandering skylark to tell them what lies beyond the gaping hole and that piece of sky hovering above their heads. While some of the frogs believe the bird’s colorful tales of green valleys and more open blue skies above and beyond the dark well, others insist on the bird’s growing state of lunacy and instead choose to embrace the gloom of the well for as long as they can exist without their boss bully frog.
Google the parable if you wish, but be content in the fact that the one thing constant in the story is that piece of sky hovering above all that darkness. One may even correlate it to either the present Covid landscape or the landscape we are constantly preparing in time for a national exercise of suffrage. That image of a tiny piece of sky still remains. Perspective or not, also admit that we look at that hole differently. From where I stand, I can see a few stars and a hint of moonbeam. And I’m slowly getting tired of having cold feet.
