Oh Corona!

Difficult times bring out the best in us. While COVID-19 lockdown has challenged the way, we have lived our lives so far on this planet and impacted the way we will live our lives henceforth, it has allowed us time to stop and take stock. To introspect and course-correct, as necessary.  When we’re spoilt for choices, we end up being indecisive. When our choices are numbered, an outcome is guaranteed. Social distancing, isolation, quarantine is the new normal in a pandemic afflicted world that is trying hard to regroup socially and commercially. Who would have ever imagined that ‘distancing’ would be considered ‘social’ or ‘isolation’ would become the panacea for the ailing? Naysayers be damned - a vibrant group of forty-three music afficionados, all over the age of forty, chose to turn the COVID-19 impasse on its head. It’s often said that ‘birds of the same feather flock together’, and collaborations are formed out of commonalities. This posse of music enthusiasts chose to work with the limited choices available and collaborated from afar to create magic. 

 

A carefully cultivated culture of collective appreciation for each effort shared by members on the group was the nutrition that nurtured confidence in these forty-three hearts. Each member wanted to connect, touch base, listen to and commend each other. The ethos of patiently listening to and encouraging each other provided a strong link to glory days, when we were in school and didn’t have a worry in the world. Where friends were prized assets and appreciation was not forged on an underlying agenda. Replete with newfound enthusiasm the group members embarked upon a magical journey to rekindle their creative juices and imagination, to perform their part in a carefully planned musical video. The director had assumed the mantle of the gaffer and had laid out each one’s part in detail, all adding up to the piece-de-resistance! Shedding inhibitions is one of the bravest things to do – more so when you’re being recorded in the act. It requires oodles of belief in one’s self. Deciding upon the sojourn was the first half, the second half was an experience called the journey.

 

There it was, clear as the day, in your face! A solemn reminder that being a pedantic armchair critic is easy. To deliver the goods, however, is tough. What appeared as a simple and fun to do directive in text turned out to be a near impossible gig to actually perform. Clothes, location, frame position, expression, lip-sync, coordination with the audio-track, each required individual attention. By the end of it, the effort had instilled in our group a newfound appreciation for the institution of marriage. Two key learnings emerged off the bat, i.e. it is absolutely critical to establish great communication with family members and that one must never take the family for granted. Their value is hard to conjure, leave alone measure. While orchestrating and recording the entire deliverable was a herculean task, next hurdle to clear was the director’s approval. Pleasing others was never easy, so why would this be any different, especially if the intent was to conform to a pre-ordained guidance. Here in came the third learning i.e. patience is a virtue, followed by the fourth i.e. perseverance pays off.

 

The task, the journey and the outcome have all taught us in their own ways, the importance of appreciating each other and believing in ourselves.