“The first week, I was lost. I’ve been living in Beirut for three years now – I had my own lifestyle, my own routine, my work etc., so being back in Batroun was a sudden transition. I was lost, trying to accept the fact that this is how my life’s going to be for a while, trying to rest but also get myself back on track. Of course, I missed my parents, and having some time now to reconnect with them is a great and important chance, but everyone is busy at the moment, and I feel like I have less privacy now.
As for the professional side of my life, it’s my first time working from home, and I’m liking it. I work with students and have projects to take care of, but now time is a bit more flexible. It’s alright so far – at this point I’m thankful to still be working. I honestly don’t know what would happen if I weren’t productive, if I didn’t have those eight hours a day filled up with things to do.
That got me thinking about the people who lost their jobs, the ones who got paid day-by-day, how they’re feeling in those difficult times. This year was harsh on Lebanon, whether it’s the economic situation, security, the revolution, the banks, the restrictions… all of these don’t help. I believe things could get even worse, like an economic bomb will explode, and therefore I’m concerned about the families starving. Of course I’m lucky and grateful to be healthy, but not everyone is, unfortunately.
From here, I thought a little more about how we’re citizens. We have rights and duties. We are currently standing in solidarity with the people who suffered a lot this year, providing them with the things they need from food to medications, but how long can this solidarity last? It’s a good thing to help out, but it’s not the solution. The number of people losing their jobs is increasing, and the people who were able to donate today might not be able to do so tomorrow. Where are we heading? However, this isn’t just a problem here; this is a global phenomenon. What have we been doing for the past 100 years? We’ve been living as consumers and the systems can’t sustain us. We are consumers to the point where this virus hit the people whose bodies are least able to defend themselves. Economy > production > consumption > environment: it’s a vicious cycle!
We need to take a step back and take a look at the situation, and try to figure out what to do.
I’ve been thinking a lot that we need better economic and political systems. I’ve been reading a lot about “The Economy of the Common Good” (ECG) founded in Austria [1]. This system doesn’t evaluate a country’s power and worth based on this country’s GDP; it takes in consideration human dignity, transparency, democracy… Why don’t we focus on those qualities? The world needs a huge format – away from the two extremes that are capitalism and communism.
Henceforth, it is the responsibility of the consumer. He or she should start thinking “Do I need this? What is this made from?” when on a trip to buy some items. We need to be more mindful and quit the mass-buying and mass-storing.
Also, imagine if we had restrictions set on important products; if we had standards, if their were rules to be followed – what happens to what we throw and so on.
We don’t think of how much we, as a community, can make a difference. We should just start somewhere. Why don’t we sort? And this isn’t just about our clothes. Is my lifestyle or are the people in my life really what I want?
Sorting can start on Facebook for example: many are the friends you have on Facebook but few are the ones you actually enjoy interacting with. So I think it’s good to disconnect and think of what to do. In my case, I started with the “digital” – I sorted photos on my laptop, files, my courses (what I want and what I didn’t want anymore). Then, I sorted my papers and my shelves.
There’s a lot to do… but I see it as doing what I can do with what I have now.
Oh, and no matter how much you’ve worked on yourself, in times of chaos, self-discipline will crash. It’s good to work on that point, and I think having something to do can help restore it. I’m a strong believer in project management tools and principles. For instance, the idea of “team” and dividing tasks among the members is very important, plus it helps identify the purpose or the added value of someone in your project (Life). There’s also “schedule”, which is something very essential. I try to adopt these in my every-day life. I learned that, even if we’re working from home, we should learn when to say ‘no’. Just because I’m at home, it doesn’t mean that we should hold meetings on Saturday and even Sunday, or that you could call me past-9 PM. There’s also time for personal life, and our energy should be divided between work and rest. To every type of activity, there’s a space attributed to it: Home > Rest. Workplace > Work. Coffee house > entertainment. Now that all of these spaces have been combined into one, proper scheduling could help in splitting time better.
And one last thing, I’m trying to build a positive habit of reading at least 20 pages a day. I’m currently reading “La Psychologie du Travail et des Organisations”. I find myself more drawn to technical/helpful books, but to each his or her preferences. I’ve also been entertaining myself with music and sorting my playlists, as well as running outside in Batroun. I’m very attached to Batroun – I somewhat forgot how much I loved it, but I remember it all now.” – Gabriel El Hachach.
Found a New Home 