Selfishness is so last year

HOWARD FELDMAN

I know that the “pyramid” I would have completed at the beginning of the year wouldn’t look anywhere near the same as the one I would fill in today. For one thing, I would have taken schooling, the attendance of shuls, and spending time with family not living at home for granted. I would have simply considered them “a given”.

The shift isn’t only a personal one. It has an impact on how we function in the broader society as well. It’s fascinating to look at the brand appropriateness of so-called celebrities during this time. It has become evident that unless they contribute to bettering society, they have simply ceased to be relevant.

The image posted by Madonna as she soaked in a bath contemplating the “one-ness” of the struggle, or of Julia Roberts, who decided that she would walk among us without make-up to show how so-darn-normal she is, and of Ellen DeGeneres complaining that she feels imprisoned in her $24 million mansion, were particularly telling. If we are to be kind, they were perplexing in just how tone deaf they were. But if we are to be honest, we could consider them downright nauseating.

With the passing of a few short (or long) months, articles that refer to the labelling of bathrooms as male or female have all but disappeared.

Social media outrage and the focus on things like identity politics has been replaced by genuine care for each other. Without any discussion, it has become clear what the priorities need to be. Very simply, we need to care for ourselves, our families, the elderly, and the less fortunate. Because, although many of us might not be living in a $24 million mansion overlooking Malibu, we’re still living significantly better than others are.

The delightful story of Captain Tom, a 99-year-old veteran in the United Kingdom who hoped to raise £1 000 for the National Health Service by walking up and down his yard (aided by a Zimmer frame), is a magnificent example of this global shift. He isn’t sexy, his dress style is a little outdated, and he isn’t a man of financial means. And yet he has raised millions of pounds and has become the face of all that is good in the world. Had he tried to do any such thing in January 2020, there is little chance that we would even have heard of him.

Political parties, much like celebrities, face a similar challenge of relevance. Those who have traded on identity politics and outrage as currency instead of the genuine objective of bettering life for South Africans have all but disappeared, while those who have been prepared to roll up their proverbial sleeves and help out will be rewarded for their efforts.

COVID-19 has brought into sharp focus what is and isn’t important. In a matter of a few weeks, so much of what we might have considered to be important very clearly no longer is. And that can’t be a bad thing.