Like a lot of folks, I was binge-watching The Lord of the Rings films when a certain scene came up. Chances are you have seen this quote floating around online in recent days but it bears repeating;
I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil.
Look, I understand. Things are horrid right now. I would be lying if I said I was coping myself.
However, the human race has faced way worse.
World wars, natural disasters and pandemics. They have happened before and being blunt they will happen again. Even in fiction things rarely stay picture-perfect for long, something will come along calling heroes to action.
Take Middle Earth, sure at the time the big threat to the world was Sauron, but this was his second go at destroying the world. There were bloody wars before him and after that ring was finally thrown into the fires of Mount Doom.
Even as the fellowship faced seemingly inevitable failure, they persevered. They held onto that fragile hope in spite of their possible deaths, and they won. Not without loss, though and I know that is the case now too, but while it looks bleak it will get better eventually.
I feel slightly hypocritical writing this since I am a pessimist and someone who is hating every second of this. Still, even though I am not exactly hoping for the best myself, I know this will end. It will, sooner or later this will end as the other trials and tribulations have done so. There will be reproductions and long-lasting impacts of course, but it will end.
For us in quarantine, there is one key point in that quote that really hit home for me.
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
We can sit here and mope all day, or we could do something to help. In this situation, that means staying inside, not panic buying and keeping loved ones safe. If you want to help more, donate to charities. Consider volunteering for your local communities if you are able to.
There are even small actions we can do at home that will help, like calling folk who have no one to talk to. I make it a point to call my Grandfather every second night to check up on him and share a laugh or two.
It’s bleak, but soon the darkest of nights will give way to the sunlight once more. We simply need to wait until that day.
I’m sorry that this one is a bit shorter than my other OWLS Tours, I hope my point came across well though.
If you haven’t, please go read Lyn’s tour entry. Also, keep an eye out for Jack‘s post coming on the fifth!
Nerd Rambles 
Good quote and it felt kinda inspirational. Not at my finest hour mentally myself but what you say does ring true to me. We just have to endure.. Compared to the fellowship and other crisises we have a fairly managable problem.
Though my low might not stem directly from this situation I stil found your words ring true. Day will eventually come after night.. and it is going to be awesome! Because we will make that day awesome. Even if things seem bleek today , tommorow they might hit a research breaktrough and give everyone hope again. So I guess what your post made me realise today is that even if we dont currently see any hope, it doesnt mean it’s hopeless.
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