SO, what else can people do if WFH becomes the mode again after a spike announcing the start of the third wave of the pandemic? More than the mandatory work to make a living, connected people build lives in a virtual world. Screen windows of multi-tasking allow curiosity to fly into memory clouds and dig deeply into bottomless information with entertainment on the side (politics).
A Google search told me that in November 2021, a COVID-19 variant was named Omicron, after the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet. The World Health Organization uses Greek letters to name variants, because these names are easier to communicate than scientific designations like B.1.617.2. According to the WHO, the 13th and 14th Greek letters (nu and xi) were skipped over because “nu” sounds like “new,” and “xi” is also a common surname. Authorities have set the current covid Alert Level 3 in some areas until the 15th of January. That makes the number 15 preordained for us, since January 15 will also be the day Comelec will start printing the ballots. We now have a triple coincidence with a number (15) that is significant in the current local situation.
Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous, said Albert Einstein who, some think, was erroneously recognized more for his science than his spirituality. Let us widen the discussion in the realm of metaphysics now that we are into it. Let us look into the Chinese zodiac for 2022, the Water Tiger, and imagine an additional dimension that can mythicize the omicron variant whose designated Greek alphabet name coincided in chronological number with a day this month that provides some feeling of relief to pandemic-and-politics fatigue.
From Google I got this:
Tiger cannot be with several animals, and the water of 2022 will be helpful to the tree of the Tiger to grow stronger and taller. That means vital Wood energy will be brought in 2022 to people. If the Wood is your Lucky Element, you will indeed have good fortune.
For most tigers, 2022 will probably be an unlucky year, as they are thought to offend the God of Age, which will bring them bad luck. (I chose not to mention the zodiacs of candidates here.)
The Lucky Colors for 2022 that pertain to Feng Shui and the Chinese New Year are green, yellow, red and blue. In China, green represents fertility, balance, purity from contamination, growth and harmony. Green can help calm anxiety and reduce stress. (Except for pink that could really be the yellow here, the significant colors in the 2022 elections are all mentioned with green being given a moderating role.)
People with Chinese zodiac Tiger sign can get along well with people in signs of Dragon, Horse and Pig, who can be best partners in their marriage life. And their relationship will be sweet and everlasting.
After this fast Google search, I realized that what could be visualized was how the Tiger elements would deal with the pandemic this year centering on the latest variant, omicron, that some experts say signals the start of the end of the pandemic. Despite this silver lining I could not help but reimagine the word “omicron” repeatedly by reciting it like mantra. What came out in my mind play were the phrases: Oh my! Crone! Oh my! Creon! (See what lock-ins can do.)
Back to Google, I found out “crone” is a cruel or ugly old woman. If that is what the latest variant is, drowning it with the Tiger’s Water or burning it with its Wood would be like the witch executions during the medieval age. But who will have the guts and the entitlement to such extreme? This led my wandering mind to Google “Creon” who is described to be the epitome of the bad, ruthless leader, impervious to the laws of the gods or humanity. As the king of Thebes in Antigone, Creon is a complete autocrat, a leader who identifies the power and dignity of the state entirely with himself. Angry and intent on his will, his tragic flaw throughout the story is pride. His pride causes his own family to turn against him and his laws to do what they believe is best. Even when people would try to advise him on his mistakes, he was too proud to even consider them. But on the other hand, Creon is also described as powerfully built, although a weary and wrinkled man suffering the burdens of rule, he is also a practical man whose only interest is in political and social order.
Back to reality, we can only wish for the best of the year to finally tame the pandemic and overcome our fears and weaknesses. May 2022 give more color to our lives and lessen the color issues that divide us.
It is my gut feeling, with full trust in God’s love and compassion, we, as a people, will overcome the challenges we are facing this year.
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