It is simply a lovely day outside. What is the worst thing possible when days are like this? Not being able to answer the outside worlds call to come play of course. But we have been, we’ve all become crazy exercise freaks, running as if it’s something we’ve alway thought about doing. I’ve even seen more ‘rotund’ individuals out walking. The eternal question then is whether these people are now desperate to go outside because they can’t, because they’re used to more exercise than being stuck around the house allows or simply everyone else is and they want to get on it too.
Don’t underestimate the value of one person doing something because they heard everyone was and it was a good idea. We rarely acknowledge that we’re a herd animal, this solitary individual human is a twentieth century construct and it doesn’t seem to do us many favours as a whole. We see others then and think that we should join them otherwise we may be either missing out on something or may be left behind from lack of participation. Humans are the ultimate self-delusional bullshitters.
There is another idea though and that is whether this increase in collective energy and focus on a particular thing makes it easier for others to get involved. If someone has a strong energy it can be easier to follow them, equally to reject them, but what if it is similar with this running lark. There has been research over the years on the power of collective meditation, one example directly related a group meditation in one city which coincided with a drop in crime during the same time period. What if somehow this focus on exercise is sweeping others up and making it easier for them to get involved in something they wouldn’t ordinarily. Can we sense the collective as much as we can see it running past our windows looking all healthy and happy? I wouldn’t dismiss it too quickly, there’s undoubtedly a lot out there that we don’t know and don’t understand. To dismiss without much thought or simply because we don’t understand is as foolish as to accept blindly.
But will all this last of course? Does a collective energy continue on an upward trajectory or will the collective focus change to something else once we unlock the doors of our quarantined purgatory. Once the days are taken up with the daily monotony of previous existences, of work, will we forget about our newfound love of the outdoors and of running trainers. Let’s be honest probably to a degree. I hope people at least remember how much fun they had when forced to spend time with themselves and a few realised a little about themselves. Maybe some won’t return to those previous jobs. Perhaps this is why they’re desperate to rush us all back to work; suddenly it becomes clear there is more to life than some dire job that takes up all our time and gives us barely enough to survive on in return. It turns out there are other ways of existing after all. Oh to go barefoot once more.
Observations and Misunderstandings 