Darien Gap

 

There’s this area of inhabitable land shared between Panama to the North/North-West and Columbia to the South/South-East, called the Darien Gap. It is called so because this area is the only uncivilised area in the whole area of the continents of North and South America.

An interesting fact about the Darien Gap is that at one time, almost one fifth of the economy of Scotland was “invested” for establishing a Scottish Colony on this area. Since that particular project did not succeed and it led to irreparable loss to the Scottish nation, it is safe to say that the Darien Gap is responsible for Scotland being a part of UK even today.

This area, or gap, has in recent decades been a part of the illegal travel to USA through Latin America. Since the last about 10 years, travel through Darien Gap had increased manifold.

This passage involved lots of exposure to illegal paramilitary, drug traders, extortionists and even the general tribal population there was involved in exploiting the travellers or passengers economically. There were reports of people being killed, going missing and even facing torture in this area, including sexual exploitation. Getting injured is a death sentence. Getting sick is a death sentence. Sometimes being left behind one’s group too is a death sentence.

Recently, the new regime in the US has been strict on illegal migration into the US. Coupled with cooperation from Panamanian Authorities, this has led to stoppage of illegal migration over this route.

It means that people will avoid suffering on this route and beyond. Many won’t have to face shattered dreams once they reach the US, if they reach there.

 

It also makes you wonder, are there other such areas? Other such gaps? More such suffering? 

Navdeep COVID Story

 

My friend Navdeep de la Toor was one of the first persons to catch COVID in my circle. Since he had already gone through COVID, he was a great guide when I got it. At that time, in August 2020, even knowing that someone had “survived” this malady was a great assurance.

There’s a small story regarding his doctor as well.

So his doctor told him that if he kept on being optimistic (can’t really use the word positive when talking about COVID), this was just a cold .

However, if he thought of his situation as dire, he would surely die.

It sounded better in Punjabi.

The lesson here for us is that being optimistic is very important in life. Here are a couple of quotes on this fact:

Wondrous is the strength of cheerfulness, and its power of endurance - the cheerful man will do more in the same time, will do it better, will preserve it longer, than the sad or sullen. - Thomas Carlyle

Untroubled, scornful, outrageous — that is how wisdom wants us to be: she is a woman and never loves anyone but a warrior. - Friedrich Nietzsche

Why should I fear death? If I am, death is not. If death is, I am not. Why should I fear that which can only exist when I do not? - Epicurus

If monsters are always about to jump out of shadows, it is because the shadows in question are those we cast ourselves. — Peter Chambers

To have blessings and to prize them is to be in Heaven; to have them and not to prize them is to be in Hell. - Thomas Traherne

Himanshu Paracetamol Story

 

One of my friends, Himanshu Sharma had COVID at the same time as me. Since both of us were isolated in our homes, talking on the phone amongst ourselves and a couple of other isolated patients was a common occurrence.

Getting fever was a common symptom during that time. It was accompanied with sweats and feeling hot and cold alternately. The basic effect of COVID-19 was a suppressed immunity in the patients’ body. There were other intense and fatal symptoms but fortunately we had mild COVID.

During one such phone call, Himanshu told me what his doctor told him regarding taking paracetamol tablets. The doctor asked him to take a 625 mg tablet if he felt fever, and specifically told him to not take 125 mg or 250 mg tablet. This was because the body temperature had to be taken down by the paracetamol and because he could not depend on his body to help with its immune response. The smaller doses would simply be ineffective.

So of course he did take 625 mg tablets. That’s what we all were doing.

But the thing is, that in life we must take full measures in all aspects. A half measure is as good as doing nothing. Except when we are stalling or waiting for the right opportunity.

The same logic applies to time - sometimes not being able to do something in time is as good as not doing anything.

We all have Himanshu to thank for this insight. Technically, we must thank his doctor but we don’t know the guy.