When I think of "fasting", I usually go beyond the literal definition of abstaining from food. Fasting can be applied to a host of activities that we may choose to give up for a period of time and for a specific purpose. But what about fasts that we did not choose? This post reflects on some of the enforced fasts shared by a large number of people. I don't want to minimize the trauma associated with many people's experience of these events.
September 11-14, 2001
After the horrific terrorist attacks that took place at three sites in the United States, all commercial flights were grounded until September 14th. People were grounded, and some were displaced far from their homes or original destinations.
I lived outside of a small town at that time, yet it was close enough to a main highway to hear traffic when we had the windows open at night. During those few days, the skies were so different. We did not hear jets overhead; we did not see the distinct contrails that were so familiar. One person close to me determined not to go on another airplane flight after this event, not simply out of fear but because the assumptions about travelling by air had been rocked.
August 14-15, 2003
A two-day electricity blackout that affected 50 million people in North America was another event that rocked my sense of what's expected and normal. So many things we rely on for daily life presume that the plugs in the wall will provide the power.
The most essential thing at that time was making sure what was in the freezer did not spoil. Where I lived had a backup generator because it was connected to a farm, so we approached friends without this advantage and stored their frozen goods in our chest freezer until the power came back on.
Those two days were nothing compared to the enforced fast of electricity experienced by Quebec residents in January 1998. Frigid and dark winter conditions were endured by some folks for almost a month, due to the extensive infrastructure damage. The church I belonged to filled a van with baked goods and bread to send to one of the affected areas.
March, 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic forced the whole world to stay at home. There was still electricity, but air travel was halted and schools and churches closed their doors. Essential workers took extraordinary risks to care for the vulnerable, while those who could work from home used digital technologies to connect remotely. Social and family connections were limited to one's own household.
Because these lockdowns lasted for weeks and months, those who lived through them emerged with a different sense of normal. We all missed out on many things that brought us joy, but the youngest ones may have missed the most.
As I write this reflection, I'm reminded that I experienced many privileges during the events I listed. But they did affect me. I don't assume that everything I want or expect is going to materialize. When something is not available in the store today due to "supply chain" issues, I try to take it in stride and make due with the abundant number of things that are available.
My grandparents lived through foreign occupation, but they did not become bitter. I want to be guided by gratitude and generosity, not by resentment and accumulation.
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