The evening ‘great stretch’ is upon us again, but embracing the light may seem difficult in these uncertain times. As a continent we have stumbled from Brexit to a pandemic and now a war that weeks ago we thought unimaginable.
there is a serious risk of crisis fatigue here. Even the most optimistic among us could easily slip into a doom-eaten mindset.
We were told that Brexit would cause a one-off economic shock. Then it was overshadowed by Covid-19, which threatened both lives and livelihoods. And now Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appears to be shaping up to be a long and bloody war.
No one can escape the shadow these events have cast over society.
Our conversations, whether on the playground or in the pub, very often divert attention to one of these topics, at least temporarily.
We expected Brexit dominance to end once the UK leaves the European Union, but disputes over protocols and borders still linger.
After the Christmas peak we had hoped that Covid would slide further back into our memories. We had prevailed.
However, it’s now back with a bang. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced into isolation by the virus in recent weeks. The number of hospitals is increasing and politicians are once again debating restrictions.
While some are very adamant that restrictions should be reinstated, everyone wishes we could go on.
Things aren’t back to normal but it’s worth reflecting on how far we’ve come from the harsh lockdown days.
We can all do our part to ensure we don’t end up there again. Of course, the government can mandate social distancing and masks, but we can also assess risks and make decisions ourselves. Just like we would in any other area of life.
Summer is coming and with it an opportunity to push back on Covid. For the last two years we have dedicated ourselves to nature, which turned out to be a very effective remedy against the virus.
The longer evenings and the improving weather now offer us the opportunity to return to the parks, terraces and beer gardens.
This summer also brings the promise of festivals, major sporting events and public holidays. The world has opened up and with it our ambition for the coming time.
It is much more difficult to draw positive conclusions from the situation in Ukraine. However, the rapprochement of the western world in distaste for Vladimir Putin’s action gives us hope.
The Irish have made themselves proud by opening their doors to refugees and accepting that sanctions against Russia will come at a financial cost.
The plight of Ukrainians should also make us grateful to live in a relatively safe country with a good standard of living. Times are tough, but we have to push through. And although it is often not easy, we must embrace the light.
https://www.independent.ie/opinion/editorial/the-world-has-opened-up-and-so-too-can-our-ambition-41492843.html The world has opened up and so can our ambition
