I woke up thinking about the people I would have liked to hug and kiss so badly. I thought to myself: “Damn, I should have just hugged all of these people I refrained from hugging due to my tiny inner introvert that sometimes pops up. I should have just bitten all the cute little cheeks of people I love so much I want to eat them.” This may indeed sound somewhat cannibalistic. Trust me, it’s not, it’s the tremendous flood of love overwhelming me in a way Noah must have been overwhelmed facing the immeasurable amount of water coming at him and his arch.
What was this nightmare we were suddenly starring in?
Fortunately, here in my tiny village, it was still possible to freely run around and even recommended by the German government to take care of one’s physical condition exercising and breathing in some fresh air.
I went out and decided to not run into the forest but try cross-field running, to provide some alternation.
I was at the peak of my joyful, somewhat desperate form of working out, when I spotted 2 dogs, not wearing my glasses I could not exactly tell what breed, but who cares. Big. BIIIIIG. They were big, huge, even monstrous…and no holder to be seen anywhere near them. My pulse continued rising despite the fact of me clearly standing still on that field comparable to a statue. I’m sure any painter would have been grateful if I had decided to become his or her muse standing on a podium motionless like that. My blood froze and my heart skipped two beats (wallah two or maybe three, hard to tell), catching sight of another five dogs racing up and down the field. My field. Damn it. It was my field. The field I had chosen for my physical activity, dogs. Will you respect that and just magically vanish?
Ice-cold sweat on my front gathered preparing for what my mind had already anticipated as the eternal dog-calypse. My end. In times of corona, virus infection and other terrifying perils, I was going to pathetically find my end on a field, savaged by these wild creatures.
But a higher power must have perceived of my dilemma and showed mercy. After they had all been staring at me for what I felt like was around 7 hours of pure tension and mortal agony, they walked the other way. (Alhamdullilah, still alive. Also I really do like drama. Obviously this was a little over dramatic haha )
I continued running, entered the cemetery, visiting my grandparents when my dad pulled up. He seemed happy to see me, blew me a kiss and I ran back home.
Arriving home, I checked my phone being bombarded by all kinds of negative messages including bodies being transported to crematoria by military trucks in Italy.
Nevertheless, I believe we should take a moment and be grateful that most of us; the majority actually, has the privilege of staying at home, in our warm houses, reading, working, writing, still being educated, creating, talking to our loved ones, with little worries and a fridge stocked with food.
I’ve come to appreciate my village-lifestyle, the nature, the vastness of the fields, although all I ever recall doing was running from here. I never felt like I fit into the limited horizon and strongly tied community of people around here. I felt like a displaced bird unable to spread her wings. Having flown around, it feels good to be back here, to be back to my nest. It’s good to stop and think for a moment. We take things, places, surroundings, people, conversations, you name it, for granted. Me included. I took having certain friends around me for granted, continuously procrastinating things, thoughts, feelings I would have wanted to utter, but never did. Times like this reminds us of our mortality and limited time on this planet. Set priorities.
Be empathetic, be human and Carpe diem, friends.