Perspective

Finding good in the coronavirus

The author's balcony in Istanbul, overlooking the Aegean Sea. Looking after the cacti helps her stay calm in quarantine. (Lina Köksal/YJI)

ISTANBUL – Corona. It might be the word we hear the most these last couple of months. Our parents always talk about it, our teachers talk about it, news reporters talk about it and even we can’t stop talking about it!

We keep talking about how bad it affected the community, the economy and education.

In Turkey, the news reporters start the broadcast by reporting how many casualties there are from covid-19. But even though I know corona is something to be taken seriously, that it killed many and affected many governments in very bad ways, I can’t help but think that the virus is a miracle.

Before you think that I am out of my mind and stop reading, please just hear me out.

I am the type of person who believes everything happens for a reason, so when I heard that there was a pandemic I couldn’t stop myself from thinking, what is the reason for this pandemic? Are we getting punished, warned or are we finally getting what we deserve?

Many say karma is a bitch, but is it? Maybe karma, after all, is just a warning to a person, trying to make them better. So I asked myself, what is corona trying to warn us about?

Then, as a teenage girl, I got distracted from my thoughts by social media. And one post made me open my eyes and help me look at this pandemic in a different perspective.

Corona was here to tell us we were destroying this wonderful and one-of-a-kind – and I mean literally “one of a kind” planet.

It was here for a scare as well.

Before corona, people didn’t think of this world as our world. Many were short-sighted and thought of it as ‘my country,’  ‘my town.’

Now they do finally realize that we are all together in this and if one doesn’t survive, none will.

A view of the Aegean Sea from the author’s apartment in Istanbul. (Lina Köksal/YJI)

I believe that some people were actually relieved that they didn’t live in the places that would be most impacted by global warming. Now everywhere, every corner – even your house – is a risky area.

People are finally getting how hard it is to have a world crisis. They now understand the difficulty of not being able to live your life as you want, the trouble of being attached to something.

I cannot see the difference between being attached to a wheelchair and a mask. Both help you wander through the streets, but both limit you from doing everything you could do.

Until now, we didn’t know what a blessing it was to breathe, to walk in the streets or go to school. Many now understand that on this planet, if there is a problem, it is not their problem, it is ours.

We share this planet. Many of us have now learned to cherish every moment on it and of course to protect it from global warming.

Corona is a miracle because this virus opened our eyes and made us stand together.

Lina Köksal is a Junior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.

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2 Comments

  • Nice insight.

    My favorite line: “I cannot see the difference between being attached to a wheelchair and a mask. Both help you wander through the streets, but both limit you from doing everything you could do.”