Macrina Mackan - Week 1

Hearing about the appearance of COVID-19 in China did not frighten me. Only a few individuals had contracted it and the problem seemed so far away. Days had passed and more and more people became infected. More time went by and the virus started to spread all over the world. Italy was hit hard, then Spain, and finally it arrived in the U.S. Even when it did, I was not panicked; I expected the government to work fast at terminating the illness from the states. We were advised to avoid large groups and to stay inside as much as possible. I didn't listen; I am a healthy women in her early 20s and this virus was only fatal in the older generation, so I didn't care if I got it or not, I knew I would be okay. Then it became mandatory to stay home, and being as bored as I was, I spent a lot of time on social media. So many people were posting about the situation and so many people were bashing on the younger generations for not abiding to the rules. This is when it hit me: the situation was a lot more important than I thought. Of course I would be okay if I obtained the virus, but the possibility of giving it to someone who was most at risk was high. I knew I could not be selfish anymore and that I had to stay inside. What I have learned so far from this pandemic is that it is important to give yourself a break from time to time. This was an unexpected break, but I was finally given the time to catch up with my life. I was able to rediscover some of the things I used to love, and in turn, rediscover myself. As I mentioned in class, I signed up for this course out of convenience. I had no idea what it was about, but learning more about it, I am excited to learn about something I do not already know about. I expect this course to submerge me in the traditions of other cultures and to provide me with the knowledge of new techniques I can use to discover more about myself during this pandemic. How are people around the world using spiritual techniques to battle COVID-19?

Who is most at risk?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkt3EZ365Po