I admit it, I have no life except a virtual one right now. During quarantine, that's all you can ask for. Most things I find on Facebook are banal, and even if it's somewhat exciting, it is fleeting. However, today as part of the HK quarantine support Facebook group, I along with hundreds of its members experienced a phenomenal sense of virtual community. One that rose above the difficulties and suffering we are facing. One that gives us hope that we human beings have it in us to be kind and loving to strangers when this Covid-19 sucker is trying to strip away our humanity.
Jameson Gong's 83 yo mother was flying from JKF to HK. The exact same trip I made a week ago, arriving at 5:50 am. He posted the evening before her flight for assistance, and a flood of posts started to come in for support. The morning started with photos of PorPor (Cantonese word for an old woman or grandmother), later renamed Ma, on her wheelchair assuring Jameson that she is ok, and being assisted to the testing center.
Then updates were posted about every 5-10 minutes of the detailed accounts of Porpor's activities. She was taking a nap, she was talking to her neighbor, she was talking to the staff about when she will be released, she is being offered a bed made of an inflatable water bed and curtain, she is being told by her son's FB friend that she is a famous celebrity in HK.... These generously depicted written and visual accounts of her were then followed by Jameson's hilarious responses. True to his profession as a stand- up comedian, he made the group LOL with many laughing emojis.
When a follower of the thread posted remarking on her cool red Adidas sneakers and calling her the coolest Porpor, Jameson's reply was "Is she picking her butt?"
Jameson, being the dutiful son, waited at the airport for about 8 hours to pick up his lovely Ma, he recounted all the open empty restaurants at the airport and the strange people in the airport with humor. He put on a virtual comedy show through the Facebook thread. He and his Ma caught the heart of every follower of this Facebook group. They received a flood of lovely messages of encouragement and support for them. This was the power of the virtual community, a supportive, generous one.
These days, we feel like we are constantly swimming against the tide, we find moments of human connection in virtual space that connects us as generous, caring, loving humans beings who are willing to go out of our way for strangers. While we swim against the tide, once in a while, kind strangers help us poke our head above the water to see the beauty of nature, of human beings, and of God who created them all. We may be in a different financial, emotional, physical state weathering through this storm that is causing these turbulent tides and perhaps tsunami to some, I believe in human resilience and God's provisions. I believe this too shall pass and that we will come out of it stronger and mightier. A 83 year old grandma who single-handedly raised 6 kids after moving to the US, withstood a 16.5 hour flight and a 14 hour wait time in the cold dungeon with the support kind and loving strangers. The power of the virtual community, human resilience and generosity was at full force at the Asia World Expo today. God bless HK and its people.
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